Western Australia's electric bus program is surging ahead, with contracts awarded to retrofit Perth's Malaga bus depot with EV infrastructure.
The Malaga depot will be the first in the State to receive major upgrades to support a large fleet of electric buses, which will have capacity to fully-charge 90 buses overnight.
The work follows the partial upgrade to the Joondalup depot in 2022, as part of a trial of four electric buses.
Perth businesses Civcon and Gemtek have been awarded the contracts, valued at $12 million, to extend and realign the bus parking area and install EV charging equipment.
This marks another significant milestone in the $250 million joint initiative between the State and Federal Labor Governments.
The Albanese Government has committed $125 million towards electric bus charging infrastructure in Perth, combined with a $125 million commitment from the Cook Government for the acquisition of 130 locally-manufactured electric buses.
The award of the contracts comes as the first electric CAT bus prepares to enter formal passenger services within the week.
The bus will be among 18 new electric buses to be used on the Perth CAT bus network and is expected to enter service in the next few weeks.
Electric buses have been operating in Perth since early 2022 when four were added to the Joondalup CAT route as part of a trial.
Since then, the quartet has carried more than 440,000 passengers and covered more than 380,000 kilometres, saving about 350 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in the process.
Further conversions of bus depots to electric charging will be rolled out to support the future production of electric buses.
Quotes attributed to Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:
"Australia's transport sector is the third largest source of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions, which is why our Governments' pursuit of an electric bus network is critical for our transition to net zero.
"The retrofitting of Malaga bus depot - which will be the first of many to be rolled out under this program - will deliver zero-emission public transport services for commuters now while supporting the growth of the WA capital.
"This means a more effective transport system, better outcomes for passengers, and lower noise levels and exhaust fumes in urban areas."
Quotes attributed to WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"In just two years we have seen Transperth's EV fleet grow exponentially.
"What started out as four buses is now a commitment to provide 130 locally-built electric buses to be rolled out over the next two years.
"As this program continues to expand, we must ensure we have the infrastructure in place to support the day-to-day running of these buses. Upgrades to existing depots, such as the one in Malaga, are essential to the smooth and efficient operation of the electric bus fleet now and into the future."
Quotes attributed to Federal Member for Cowan Anne Aly:
"This program ticks many boxes for public transport growth in Perth's northern suburbs, as well as minimising the impact on the environment, making it an incredible investment from the Albanese Labor Government in partnership with the Cook Labor Government.
"I'm pleased to see the Malaga bus depot in my electorate of Cowan as the starting point for a new zero-emission roll out of electric buses across Perth - a win-win outcome for all."
