Drivers in regional Queensland are becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of access to public electric vehicle chargers. It’s been seven years since the devices were first introduced, but commissioning dates for the final regional charging sites keep being pushed back.
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00:00When Andrew Borchardt bought an electric vehicle two years ago, he expected there would be
00:07plenty of charging stations across the state.
00:10I'm frustrated that they have been promised and promised and promised and promised and
00:13it seems like the can just keeps getting kicked down the road.
00:16Queensland saw its first public stations in 2017 in a state south east and some in the
00:22north.
00:24More regional sites were promised in 2021 to be installed in the next two years.
00:29But some sites still aren't working, leaving hundreds of kilometres on regional highways
00:34exposed.
00:36The paramedic lives on the Gemfields in central Queensland.
00:39A short drive from Emerald, one of the towns still waiting on a public charger.
00:44You know that you can go down the Bruce Highway and there'll be a level of redundancy.
00:48If one's been used or one's broken, that's okay, you just move on down the road to the
00:51next one.
00:52The Capricorn Highway runs inland from Rockhampton.
00:56At this stage, there are only two functioning public chargers on the highway.
01:00The Dingo charger was broken for a month last year, widening the gap to almost 600 kilometres
01:06with no public chargers between Barkholden and Rockhampton.
01:10If we're going to have slightly fewer electric vehicle chargers in the regions, then they've
01:13got to be really dependable.
01:15Fellow EV drivers agree.
01:17Cody Dickinson lives in Emerald and it's impacted the use of his vehicle.
01:21The next charger is Barkholden.
01:22So if I'm wanting to even just go out there sort of recreationally, you know, it's certainly
01:28what's put me off.
01:29I haven't even thought of going out that way.
01:30The company overseeing the rollout says side approvals and a lack of technical resources
01:35are behind the delays, leaving would-be charging stations like this empty and without a power.
01:41Could only do good things for the area, like, you know, EV tourists charging, they'll stop
01:45here and spend money at local cafes and shops and things like that.
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