The motion to negotiate a deal with the motoring association attracted considerable debate at Monday night’s council meeting and calls for the council to strengthen its negotiating position to avoid a financial loss for ratepayers.

However, the motion ended up gaining unanimous support from all councillors except Tim Koschel, who was absent on leave.

The council will now seek a deal to build a charging station, designed for all electric vehicles current on the road or soon to go on sale, in the car park at 8 Cross Street, Wagga.

The proposed location is next to Charles Sturt University’s Riverina Playhouse.

If completed, the station would be designed to charge vehicles up to 80 per cent capacity within 30 minutes.

The cost of building the station, estimated at $100,000, and the cost of electricity will be covered by NRMA.

Cr Rod Kendall said he was concerned that under the proposed terms of the deal, council would be liable for cost of moving the station if the area was developed.

“The cost of that moving would essentially be at council’s cost even though we only recover a dollar per annum in the lease,” he said.

“I am more than happy to give the NRMA a guarantee that we won’t let them build it and then they’ll have to pay to move it the next year.

“I suggest there should be some kind of sunset clause.”

Cr Kendall said that due to NRMA’s future plans to require non-members to pay for using the station, it should pay a commercial lease at that point for running a commercial operation.

General manager Peter Thompson said the deal was still in the negotiation phase and could make “reasonable” suggestions for changes around moving costs and commercial leases.  

Mayor Greg Conkey told the meeting that the station would be intended for use by visitors to Wagga after Cr Kerry Pascoe pointed out that most electric car owners have overnight chargers in their own homes.

Wagga Tesla owner Dev Mukherjee, who has been campaigning to build a fast charging station in Wagga for the past three years, had called on the council to support the deal.

Cr Dan Hayes said he welcomed electric vehicles but he wanted to make sure that council was not subsidisng infrastructure for the financial benefit of car manufacturers.

Cr Hayes said car manufacturer BMW had been encouraging Australian councils to adapt to electric vehicles but had not offered funding contributions.

He also called on council to reconsider the parking rules at the site to prevent people from occupying the charging station all day and preventing others from using it.

Cr Paul Funnell said he wanted the charging station to go ahead but he had found that electric vehicles were no more economical than diesel and warned of the impact of rising power costs.

While you’re with us, did you know that you can now receive updates straight to you inbox each day at 6am from the Daily Advertiser? To make sure you’re up to date with all the Wagga news sign up here.