As a resident of Waverley deeply committed to reducing local pollution and protecting the health of our community, particularly our school children, this issue is personal to me.

The use of Electric Vehicles (EV) is a key opportunity to driving down harmful vehicle emissions in urban environments, but the inability for residents without offstreet parking to charge their vehicles hinders the community transition towards a cleaner, greener future. 

The lack of kerbside EV charging in Waverley is a significant obstacle for potential EV users - currently EV users face a council fine for running a cable across the footpath.

By recognising the need to assist locals in charging their electric vehicles, we are not just promoting intelligent resource use, but also showing our commitment to reducing vehicle-based pollution which damages our environment and health. This is a relatively cheap way for council to take action which benefits the health of residents.

In Australia, one in ten new vehicles were Battery-Electric in 2024 (Source: Electric Vehicle Council) and being an older, denser neighbourhood with terraces and semi-detached homes, many of Waverley's residents rely on on-street parking.

Let's learn from the best practices of the Inner West Council where kerbside charging facilities are already in place. Implementing similar measures in Waverley would encourage more residents to adopt this cleaner mode of transport.

Therefore, Waverley council, this petition urges you to act responsibly and set a formal deadline for the approval of kerbside electric vehicle charging. This simple adaptation would greatly ease the transition towards cleaner vehicles, thus reducing our carbon footprint and local pollution, and safeguarding our children's health. Please prioritise the future of our planet and sign today's petition.