Western Australia is advancing its electric bus program with a significant upgrade to Perth’s Malaga bus depot.
Contracts worth $12 million have been awarded to local companies Civcon and Gemtek for the project, which will include the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and the expansion of the bus parking area.
This upgrade will make Malaga the first bus depot in Western Australia capable of fully charging a large fleet of electric buses, with capacity to charge up to 90 buses overnight.
The project follows a successful partial upgrade at Joondalup depot in 2022, where four electric buses were trialed.
WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said in just two years people of WA 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,” Saffioti said.
“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.”
The Malaga project is a key component of a broader $250 million joint initiative between the State and Federal Labor Governments, aimed at transitioning Perth’s bus network to electric power.
The Albanese Government has allocated $125 million towards EV charging infrastructure, while the Cook Government has matched this with an additional $125 million for the purchase of 130 locally-manufactured electric buses.
The announcement comes as Perth prepares to launch its first electric CAT bus into formal passenger service.
This bus will be one of 18 electric buses set to operate on the Perth CAT bus network in the coming weeks.
According to WA Government, since the introduction of the initial four electric buses in early 2022, the vehicles have collectively transported over 440,000 passengers, traveled more than 380,000 kilometres, and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 350 tonnes.
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