Tuesday, 02 July 2019
Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia is delighted to welcome an Australian-first pilot project in Tropical North Queensland which will see a network of EV charging stations installed at six popular tourist destinations, including Mossman Gorge Centre.
Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning, Cameron Dick has given the green light for the Queensland Government and RACQ pilot project which will see charging stations installed at six chosen sites: Paronella Park, Herberton Historic Village, Coffee Works Mareeba, Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, Hartleys Crocodile Adventures and Mossman Gorge Centre.
Work will commence to install the EV chargers in August, with projected completion expected to be in September. The free trial will run for a minimum of 12 months and it is expected that most, if not all, sites will continue to offer free EV charging once the trial has ended.
“Tropical North Queensland is home to many of our iconic tourism locations and that is why the Queensland Government is supporting this project with RACQ as a major sponsor. We want to make it easy for the increasing number of EV drivers from all over Australia to spend time in beautiful Tropical North Queensland”, said Member for Cairns Michael Healy.
“Most EV charging is done at home or at accommodation overnight, with destination chargers playing a key role in the EV charging ecosystem, enabling drivers to ‘top-up’ during road trips.
“The EV chargers at these sites will deliver between 3.6kW and 7kW (AC) to recharge vehicles to give around 100km to 200km of charging at each site.
“Longer distance travel to the Cairns region is facilitated by fast and ultra-fast charging such as the 50kW (DC) fast chargers found along the Queensland Electric Super Highway or the 350kW DC ultra-fast RACQ charger installed at Toombul Shopping Centre.”
RACQ Head of Public Policy, Dr Rebecca Michael said holiday time is precious, and these charge stations will allow motorists driving electric vehicles to put theirs to good use by parking and charging up as they visit some of the best tourist locations Tropical North Queensland has to offer.
“They’ll allow users to get about the region and back home again along the Queensland Electric Super Highway through to Brisbane, or beyond to Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Adelaide via the Chargefox network,” Dr Michael said.
“We’ve seen many advancements in the electric vehicle market with a wider range of more affordable cars becoming available. It’s certainly an exciting time, but it hasn’t come without some challenges too. We know ‘range anxiety’ is a big fear for those considering making the switch to a low emissions vehicle, and a comprehensive and connected electric vehicle charging network is essential to calming these concerns.
“Those travelling along Queensland’s Electric Super Highway can now explore the beautiful far north region, with the confidence that they can charge up as they do so,” Dr Michael said.
Mossman Gorge Centre is an Indigenous eco-tourism development serving the Mossman Gorge World Heritage site in Far North Queensland. Visitors gain a genuine insight into Indigenous Australia and authentic engagement with the local Kuku Yalanji people through Dreamtime Gorge Walks incorporating culture, history and storytelling on private Kuku Yalanji country in the heart of the rainforest. Mossman Gorge Centre also delivers significant economic, employment and training opportunities for the local Kuku Yalanji people.
For more information go to: www.mossmangorge.com.au or call 07 4099 7000
