Nambucca residents Bruce and Anne Bishop are now able to charge their electric car when they go to the shops or library thanks to council's new electric vehicle charging station in Nambucca Heads.
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Mrs Bishop, who owns a Tesla Model S 70, said the two new car recharge stations in Nambucca and Macksville would be good for locals and tourists.
Nambucca Shire Councillor Anne Smyth said it was Council's Clean Energy Committee who came up with the idea of installing electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and she thanked the Committee for its vision.
"Having access to charging stations is about providing the infrastructure the Nambucca Shire needs going forward," Cr Smyth said.
"These needs will only grow as prices for EVs come down and incentives to own them go up.
"The new electric vehicle recharge stations are just one way of helping to clear the bottlenecks to EV uptake. The fact that this infrastructure can be based on clean and green technology is an added bonus.
"These electric vehicle recharge stations will be used by residents and visitors and the central locations where they are installed will encourage motorists to visit nearby shops and cafes while they wait for their car's battery to recharge."
The electric vehicle charging stations are located outside Nambucca Library in Ridge Street and in Macksville's McKay Street Carpark near the corner of Princess and River Streets.
The stations are KEBA P30 models with a maximum charging capacity of 32 amps (22 kilowatts). Beside each station is a carpark dedicated for charging. Motorists will need to bring their own cable.
The stations cost about $13,000 to buy and install and were funded by Council's Environmental Levy.
The Bishops said they bought the Tesla Model S 70 because they wanted a car that used cleaner fuel.
"We bought the Tesla for its green credentials and it has turned out to be a great family car," Mrs Bishop said.
"We have done almost 10,000 kilometres in it and it has never missed a beat. I have never experienced range anxiety, which is the worry that the car's battery will go flat before I reach my destination.
"There are now plenty of places to recharge and I can even plug my car in and top it up while I visit the local shops."
The council voted in favour of a raft of other clean energy measures at its April 24 meeting when it adopted its Renewable Energy Action Plan.
These measures include installing solar panels on Council's main buildings and libraries and upgrading internal building lighting to LED (light emitting diode) technology as Council's budget permits.
