Vincent raises Chelmsford Road EV bay fee to $2,685 a year

The City of Vincent has raised the proposed licence fee for four electric-vehicle charging bays at Chelmsford Road Car Park, Mount Lawley, from $1,500 to $2,685 per bay a year.

The fee will apply during the remainder of the initial term, from August 2026 to June 2027, and the further term, from July 2027 to July 2032. It will increase by 3 per cent each year.

The bays are at 2 Chelmsford Road in an area marked for EVIE Networks. The higher fee was supported on the basis that the bays currently generate about $2,650 each year in parking revenue.

The amendment was framed as a way to protect the return to ratepayers when public parking bays are licensed to a commercial charging operator, while continuing to expand EV infrastructure.

The City will also run an expression-of-interest process for the installation and management of EV chargers across its car parks. The results, including preferred operators, will return to Council for consideration.

Council also requested a high-level business case on whether the City should install, own and operate charging infrastructure itself. The work will cover capital and operating costs, possible State Government Charge Up EV Charging Grants, payment and customer-support arrangements, electrical capacity, demand charges, maintenance and asset renewal, and the experience of comparable local governments including the City of Perth.

The relevant licence arrangements cannot proceed until statutory public notice has been given and submissions invited. The Chief Executive Officer was authorised to consider submissions, negotiate and finalise the amended licence agreement, and arrange execution of the deed of variation.

The expansion is being considered in the context of public charging capacity in the Beaufort Street town centre. Council will make further decisions on the preferred delivery model, licence terms and fee method after the operator process and business-case work.