Decision details

Moved by Councillor Miller, seconded by the Chair (the Lord Mayor) -

It is resolved that:

(A)        Council note:

(i)          transport is Australia's third largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 17 per cent of total emissions, with the highest rate of growth;

(ii)         cars are a major source of greenhouse gas pollution in Australian cities and are responsible for roughly half of Australia's total transport emissions;

(iii)        as a leading global city on climate change, some of the key outcomes of the City of Sydney's Environmental Strategy and Action Plan 2016-201 are to:

(a)        develop policies that promote the uptake of electric vehicles in the City;

(b)        improve air quality across the local government area; and

(c)         create demand for renewable energy and new technology through the procurement and support for vehicles that do not burn fossil fuels;

(iv)       already, the City of Sydney has embraced electric vehicles, with 19 Nissan Leaf vehicles in its fleet, as well as 40 hybrid cars and 70 hybrid trucks. By using electric and hybrid trucks and vehicles, the City reduced its fleet emissions by 26 per cent between 2010 and 2014. Earlier this year, the City also trialled its first electric garbage truck, with the hope that soon its garbage truck fleet can also be emissions free;

(v)         Transport for NSW has recently announced the State Government's intention to transition its entire 8,000 bus fleet to a zero emissions electric fleet;

(vi)       the City of Sydney is currently investigating planning changes to breathe new life into Oxford Street and secure the area's cultural and creative future. The NSW Government's electric bus fleet, with its reduced air and noise pollution, would greatly contribute to the area's revitalisation making it a more desirable location to visit;

(vii)      electric vehicles are already gaining popularity as a mainstream mode of transport and are projected to account for 55 per cent of all new car sales by 2040, however almost two thirds of motorists point to charging infrastructure as the single greatest barrier to electric vehicle adoption;

(B)        the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:

(i)          investigate ways in which the City can overcome the barrier of accessibility to electric vehicle charging infrastructure and enable a more rapid transition to electric vehicles through:

(a)        the identification of opportunities that integrate electric vehicle charging infrastructure within the City's existing infrastructure e.g. council depots and public car parks;

(b)        changes to planning controls that incentivise and enable electric vehicle charging infrastructure within all new developments; and

(c)         identify and streamline planning approval processes to enable electric vehicle charging infrastructure to be retrofitted into existing buildings;

(ii)         work with car share companies and other major fleet owners to investigate ways in which to transition large scale vehicle fleets to electric vehicles as well as identify incentives for city businesses and residents to forgo car ownership in favour of electric vehicle usage; and

(iii)        identify what NSW Government opportunities are available to local councils to support electric vehicle public charging infrastructure; and

(C)       the Lord Mayor be requested to write to the NSW Minister for Transport and Roads, Andrew Constance seeking prioritisation of the initial electric bus fleet deployment for all bus routes entering the City of Sydney Local Government Area.

The motion, as varied by consent, was carried unanimously.

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