Project background

We asked for the community’s feedback on 32 proposed locations for new pole mounted EV charging stations. These stations consist of a charger installed on an existing power pole with two charging ports. If all proposed locations proceed, up to 64 new charging points could be available across the City of Port Phillip.

From Monday 27 July and Sunday 23 August 2026 we asked the community to share feedback on the proposed sites, whether they were suitable and if installation should proceed.

What did we ask?

Through an interactive map, community members could comment on specific locations including whether they supported the new kerbside EV charging port here and the reason why.

They could also share feedback on the entire project broadly either through a typed survey or by uploading feedback in a style of their choosing.

What did we hear?

The feedback we received demonstrated broad support for expanding EV charging infrastructure across the City of Port Phillip, but views varied considerably between proposed locations.

Many participants saw kerbside charging as essential to supporting the transition to electric vehicles, especially for apartment residents and households without private parking. However, support for individual sites was mixed.

Some of the proposed locations received support where participants identified a clear local need for public charging. This included locations such as Esplanade East and Ross Street in Port Melbourne, Mary Street in St Kilda and Lemnos Square in Albert Park.

Conversely, some locations attracted opposition from nearby residents. Concerns were raised about the sites in Cardigan Place and Merton Street in Albert Park, Balston Street in Balaclava, Richardson Street in Middle Park, Stokes Street in Port Melbourne, Wordsworth Street in St Kilda and Wavenhoe Avenue in St Kilda East.

Opposition was generally linked to:

• the loss of on-street parking
• possible effects on noise, appearance and enjoyment of the local area
• traffic and safety concerns
• questions about whether a particular site was suitable

These concerns did not necessarily indicate opposition to public EV charging overall.

Across all engagement activities, five key themes emerged:

• Support for increasing EV charging infrastructure and enabling residents without home charging to access electric vehicles.
• Concerns about the loss of on-street parking and impacts on parking availability for permit holders and nearby residents.
• Concerns about possible effects on noise, appearance and enjoyment of the local area, as well as traffic and safety.
• A desire for additional chargers and broader geographic coverage across the municipality with more than 20 potential future locations suggested across all activities.
• Requests for clear operating arrangements, including charger reliability, time limits, enforcement of EV bays and monitoring how often chargers are used.

What happens next?

Council will consider the community feedback alongside further technical, parking, traffic, safety, heritage and operating assessments before deciding which proposed locations should proceed, be changed or not proceed. Council will provide further information to affected residents as the project progresses.