Southbank building future-proofed with EV charging, and how you can do the same

By The Knight - Body Corporate Managers

Owners’ corporation (OC) managers are seeing increasing demand for retrofitting electric
vehicle (EV) charging across their portfolios.

The Knight recently spoke with David Hamilton, an OC committee member at Triptych and an
EV charging solutions consultant. He graciously agreed to share with us his experiences with EV
charging in strata.

The Knight: Starting with your OC, Triptych, could you explain what drives your sustainability
ethos?

David: Triptych was designed to be a building with extensive sustainability features

incorporated into it from its conception in 2007, so it was ahead of the curve as far as
Melbourne high-rise apartment developments back then, and even today.

Sustainability has been a key attraction for many owners and renters over its history but more
so today with greater awareness of climate change and the need to transition to a low carbon
economy. In a building where the ethos is sustainability, it is an easy step for people to
understand the benefits of becoming EV ready. In fact, some of us started thinking about what
would be needed as far back as 2016.

The Knight: How can we help facilitate the community wide decision to adopt EV charging?

David: OC managers and committees need processes that bring people on the journey towards
sustainability and avoid divisive debates. You need to recognise you are living in a community
and there is a collective responsibility to improve the lot of all owners, rather than preserve the
status quo or sectional interests.

OC committees have a duty of care to all owners and to protect and preserve the common
property in a way that enhances the value of all owners’ assets, especially their building’s image
and individual apartment values.

A good starting point is to ask residents and owners their views and let them see what is
possible. Engaging via surveys is great, not just about sustainability and EV but about important
common property issues. Surveys educate people but more importantly, they show the
committee is listening. They also have the benefit of airing and addressing objections and
revealing where the majority of residents stand on a topic.

The OC can then formulate a strategy around sustainability and not waste time on objections
that are unsupported by the broader community.

The Knight: What do you see as the future of EV charging in strata?

David: Soon, there will be two classes of buildings: those that have the facility and those that
don’t. By the end of this decade, the bulk of new vehicle models available for purchase will be
EV and strata buildings (including existing buildings) will have no choice but to adjust to that
reality.

The National Construction Code is likely to be amended as early as 2023 requiring in-carpark EV
charging infrastructure to be part of the base build. Today’s strata committees should recognise
the need to facilitate this now or face competition from new buildings and other developments
which have made that move. Owners in those buildings will have a significant competitive
advantage over buildings without EV charging.

Surveys I have run show that even owners who do not plan on owning an EV recognise this risk
and are willing to support retrofitting so that the entire building is EV ready, and their
apartment’s value is maintained to prospective purchasers.

David Hamilton works as an EV solutions charging consultant. You can find out more and
contact him at ghic.com.au •

To read more of our interview with David, head to theknight.com.au/our-news-and-insights