EV Charging permit

Stan Baker's story . . .

If you have an EV and you park on the street outside your house, you might want to run a charging cable from your house across the pavement. To do so legally, you need to get a (free) permit from  council. * 

** Since the start of 2024 it appears IWC has suspended issuing permits pending legal advice.

Getting permission for Kerbside Charging from the Inner West Council. My experience so far.

STEP 1

At this stage, there seems to be no general advice on IWC’s website, but there is a general form for anyone wanting to use the footpath outside their house including running a charging lead to their car. It can be downloaded from IWC’s website here, but I indirectly received a copy of this form from the IWC Building Surveyor: Mirjana Kovacevic   <Mirjana.Kovacevic@innerwest.nsw.gov.au>

In addition to filling in the relevant parts of the form, I need to provide a $20M third party insurance cover. This sounds a lot but is normally part of any house and contents insurance. The council requests a Certificate of Currency from my insurer with the IWC listed as an "interested party".

When I asked my insurance company (AAMI) for a certificate, I was told to provide a photograph of my typical charging situation (see below). I'm presently awaiting their response.

I presume I will also have to provide a similar photo to council so they can see I have a professional cover for my charging lead. The one I have cost around $37 from Clark Rubber and comes in one metre interlocking lengths. Bunnings also carry a range of cable covers.

I'll continue this story once I receive the Certificate from AAMI and submit my application to council.

STEP 2

The next day I received my Certificate of Currency from AAMI and yesterday (4/8/23) I sent off my completed application to the Inner West Council. They indicated it would take a least a week to get approval for legal footpath charging. Let's see if they are as good as their word!

STEP 3

After a fortnight without hearing from the IWC, I decided to contact Mirjana again (details above). On 17/8/23, she wrote back to me apologising that the paperwork had only just got to her desk. She said I should hear back next Monday 21/8/23.

STEP 4 - SUCCESS

Today (22/8/23) I received my "Footpath Occupation License" from the Inner West Council allowing me to be possibly the first EV owner in the inner west to legally charge across the footpath. (See photo below.) There was no fee involved but house contents insurance is important as this should provide the $20M third party cover.