Media Statement - Livingstone Shire Council Pauses EV Charging Rollout

Following a Notice of Motion from Mayor Adam Belot at Council’s Ordinary Meeting this week, Livingstone Shire Council has decided to pause plans for public Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure on the Capricorn Coast, citing the need for further consideration of environmental, ethical, and economic factors.

Mayor Adam Belot highlighted ongoing global concerns about the environmental and social impacts of EV battery production, in countries that may not be upholding safety and environmental standards that we would expect, as part of the rationale for his Notice of Motion.

“There are still significant ethical questions around the mining practices involved in battery materials, and not all industry claims are supported by independent, peer-reviewed evidence,” Mayor Belot said.

“I believe it's responsible to pause and ensure that any future investment in this space meets the highest environmental, social, and governance standards.”

Mayor Belot said he had many community members raising concerns about the ethical production of minerals required to manufacture EV batteries, which needs to be addressed to ensure Council is supporting ethical manufacturing in the EV industry.

“The state and federal governments need to scrutinise these practices to ensure we are not investing or supporting unethical practices that we wouldn’t carry out in Australia,” he said. 

While Council had explored the installation of two EV chargers to service the region, it ultimately concluded to hold off on sourcing a provider at this time.

“This is not a decision made lightly, and it does not mean Livingstone is opposed to EV adoption,” Mayor Belot added. 

 “It simply means we are choosing to wait until we can be confident that any infrastructure introduced is both ethical and economically sound for our community.”

Council reaffirmed its commitment to environmental sustainability and regional competitiveness, noting that this decision represents a pause, not a rejection, of future EV infrastructure.

“We will continue to monitor state and national developments closely and remain open to revisiting this issue when the timing and technology are right,” Mayor Belot said.

The Capricorn Coast remains one of the last coastal regions in Queensland without public EV charging stations—a fact Council acknowledged at the Ordinary Council Meeting.

For the record, Cr Friend, Cr Rothery and Cr Watson opposed the Notice of Motion and Cr Mather, Cr Eastwood, Cr Warcon and the Mayor voted to support the motion to pause.