Electric buses to hit the streets in Perth's north
Electric buses will soon be hitting the streets of the northern suburbs after a $12.3 million update of the Karrinyup bus depot.
The depot will be retrofitted to include EV charging equipment, substation upgrades, CCTV upgrades and other works.
The depot will be able to support 110 electric buses once the works are completed, which is expected by the end of the year.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.
The first electric bus is expected to be delivered to the depot in early 2026, which will also be the first to operate outside of the CBD.
Each electric bus has the capability to travel up to 300km on a single charge, saving about 40 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year.
The Karrinyup bus depot will be the second major Transperth facility to be upgraded with the charging infrastructure after the installation of bus chargers at the Elizabeth Quay bus station last year.
The redevelopment is part of the State Government's $250m electric bus program, which will initially have 130 EV buses replacing their existing diesel counterparts. The program has been jointly funded between the State and Federal governments.
The Malaga and Bayswater depots are also being prepared for electric vehicles.
Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said depots needed to have the infrastructure to keep the electric fleet running efficiently and effectively. Roger Cook and Rita Saffioti. Credit: Supplied
'It is imperative our bus depots incorporate EV infrastructure so that the transition from a diesel-heavy fleet to one that includes cleaner, greener buses happens as smoothly as possible,' she said.
Scarborough MLA Stuart Aubrey said he was thrilled the area was among the first outside the CBD to get access to electric buses.
'We made a commitment to phasing out diesel buses from our network, and the delivery of new electric charging infrastructure at our depots is critical to achieving that,' he said.
The last diesel bus manufactured for public transport in WA rolled out last week. All new buses made by Volgren will now be electric.
More than 100 people, including 15 apprentices, work at Volgren's Malaga facility.
Premier Roger Cook said building buses locally was part of the Government's vision for WA's future.
'It won't just create more than 100 jobs in Perth's north-eastern suburbs — it will lower our emissions and reduce operating costs across Perth's public transport network too,' he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
5 hours ago
- West Australian
All the details: WA Shearing Industry Association set to hold AGM with Merino focus in June
Former leader of the WA Opposition Mia Davies joins a line-up of speakers at the WA Shearing Industry Association's annual general meeting this month. The AGM will focus on industry initiatives and challenges in the wake of a particularly difficult period, showcasing the industry's value while also providing networking opportunities for farmers. The recent candidate for the Federal seat of Bullwinkel, Ms Davies, will speak on her time in politics, her thoughts on the WA agricultural sector and what she envisions for the future to close out the event. She will be joined by Western Australian sheep producer and Sheep Producers Australia chair Bindi Murray, and speakers from Australian Wool Innovation, Stud Merino Breeders, PSC Insurance, Heiniger, woolgrowers, brokers and buyers. Presentations will centre on the theme of the value of the Merino across the five-hour event at Ingot Hotel on June 21. A panel session facilitated by The Livestock Collective will also feature, as well as a presentation from WA WoolTAG. Attendees can gather for coffee from 8.30am, with the event start time set for 9am, finishing at 2pm. The event is $35 per person to cover the cost of morning tea and lunch. A raffle with prizes from Top Gun Shearing, Heiniger and AWI is included. RSVPs are required via the WASIA website . The AGM will be an expanded format of WASIA's recent member meeting in January which featured president Darren Spencer's bi-annual report and an address from Australian Wool Innovation WA director Neil Jackson.
West Australian
16 hours ago
- West Australian
Katanning local Dillon Clay wins agricultural and off-road category in inaugural tyre fitter of year awards
Katanning local Dillon Clay has been named Australia's top agricultural tyre fitter, taking out the agricultural and off-road category in the inaugural Tyre Fitter of the Year awards. Mr Clay was born and raised in the Great Southern town and has worked at Katanning's CGS Tyres for more than 10 years. He was presented the national award at a ceremony on May 22 after winning the State award. 'I was pretty stoked to win both the State and national awards, it was a bit of a surprise but always nice to have that recognition,' Mr Clay said. 'I think everyone, no matter what they do, likes to be recognised for the hard work they put in, and it's great for everyone that does work hard in this job that we can be recognised with these awards now.' Australian Tyre Traders' WA Sales Manager Daniel Trevaskis presented Mr Clay with his award at the Katanning ceremony, and said the win was 'absolutely deserved'. 'What truly sets Dillon apart is that he's more than a tyre fitter, he's a trusted adviser to the local farming and industrial community,' he said. 'Choosing the right tyre for the right application is critical, particularly in agriculture where the wrong fit can affect crop yields, machinery performance and operating costs. 'Dillon's years of experience, combined with his technical knowledge, mean many customers simply ask for 'whatever Dillon recommends' and that level of trust speaks volumes.' Mr Trevaskis said Mr Clay was also known for his warm and friendly attitude. 'His customers describe him as 'funny and very helpful' with many visiting the store just to have a yarn,' he said. 'His ability to build long-term customer relationships, offer tailored advice, and deliver results quickly and safely, all with a zero-incident safety record, and this when combined made him a clear standout among the national finalists.' Mr Trevaskis said the awards were designed to recognise the hard work and skill of the 'often overlooked' tyre fitters across the country, and the impact they have on keeping national industries including freight, agriculture, and construction on the move. 'Regional tyre fitters are the unsung backbone of Australia's heavy industries,' he said. 'In areas like Katanning, they are relied upon to keep everything from tractors and harvesters to freight trucks and construction machinery operating safely and efficiently. 'Without them, vital work in agriculture, construction, logistics and more would come to a standstill.'
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Sky News AU
Jim Chalmers resorting to new taxes is a misguided attempt to ‘purchase prosperity' as private investment in the Australian economy crashes
Earlier this month, a collapsed high-voltage wire near Strathfield Station brought Sydney's entire railway network to a halt, forcing commuters to endure days of chaos and delay. The State Government and rail officials scrambled to apologise, offering a fare-free travel day as compensation. But no number of free rides can repair the ancient cabling, rigid work practices, and flawed design that make the city's rail system so fragile. Sydney's rail meltdown is more than a transport failure - it is a metaphor for Australia's broader political and economic malaise. A system that appears to function smoothly on the surface is merely running on inertia. Beneath the facade lies decay: decades of short-termism, underinvestment, and complacency. This week's news that business investment is falling confirms the rot has spread to the foundations of the national economy and that the current government has little appetite for structural reform. Non-mining investment contracted by 1.6 per cent nationally in the March quarter, while private capital expenditure dropped by 5.3 per cent in Victoria in the three months to March. Yet private investment is the engine of job creation, productivity, and wage growth. Without it, the reverse holds: business shrinks, employment stagnates, and economic momentum falters. Capital - the lifeblood of any economy - flows to where it is welcomed and where returns are reliable. Under Treasurer Jim Chalmers, businesses are increasingly wary of investing in Australia, deterred by high costs, regulatory burdens, and policy uncertainty. The Albanese government's Future Made in Australia strategy risks remaining a slogan unless it can reverse this investment drought. But rising energy costs and an increasingly unreliable power supply are driving manufacturers offshore. On top of that, Australia's high labour costs and complex industrial relations system deter new ventures. CSL Chairman Brian McNamee captured the mood when he said businesses were reacting to 'an accumulation of hostile policies and government crowding out of enterprise'. Investment capital, he warned, 'will find homes elsewhere that are more welcoming and reward risk-taking'. These cracks in our economic edifice didn't appear overnight. Like Sydney's ageing power lines and outdated rolling stock, the deterioration has been years in the making. Australia's GDP per capita has now declined for seven consecutive quarters - a sign that, were it not for population growth through immigration, the country would be in recession. Productivity, the key driver of long-term prosperity, has flatlined. Over the past two decades, it has grown at just 0.7 per cent per year. In the last year, growth was a mere 0.5 per cent. Small wonder that living standards have been slipping since the pandemic. Whatever growth the economy shows is increasingly the product of government spending - now at 27 per cent of GDP, up two points from pre-COVID levels. But governments cannot purchase prosperity any more than they can restore a rail system with free travel days. Eventually, they resort to new taxes. Mr Chalmers' proposal to tax unrealised capital gains in superannuation is one such example - a measure that will discourage long-term savings and further undermine private investment. Self-managed super funds, often used to back small business and start-ups, will be particularly affected. For a cautionary tale, we need only look to Germany, a country long admired for its engineering excellence and export-driven economy. But as Wolfgang Münchau explains in 'Kaputt: The End of the German Miracle ' , complacency and underinvestment have taken their toll. Germany's efficiency endured as a reputation long after it disappeared as a rea lity. The nation failed to keep pace with the digital era, relying instead in analogue infrastructure and unreliable energy sources. Dependence on Russian gas and costly renewables sent electricity prices soaring - now among the highest in Europe. Meanwhile, Germany's vaunted rail system has become a symbol of national decline. Deutsche Bahn, once synonymous with precision and quality, is now plagued by delays, technical faults, and overcrowding. In 2024, just 62 per cent of long-distance trains arrived on time. In April, Swiss operator SBB cut two cross-border services, fearing Germany's dysfunction would spill over into their own network. The parallels with Australia are sobering. Both nations rode waves of prosperity driven by commodity exports while neglecting the need for reform. Both now face the consequences: rigid regulatory systems, soaring power prices, stagnant productivity, and eroded competitiveness. And in both countries, the signs of decline were ignored until something broke. Germany kept betting against the digital age. Australia, too, risks believing its own myth of resilience and economic strength, long after the underlying conditions have shifted. If we don't act now to address structural weaknesses, the next broken wire, literal or metaphorical, will leave more than just a railway in chaos. Nick Cater is a senior fellow at Menzies Research Centre and a regular contributor to Sky News Australia
