Want to install an EV charger at your townhouse or villa? The pending Bill 2025 introduces a clearer pathway: written notice to the committee, a 3-month window for response, and a "deemed approval" if they don't reply. Plus committees can't unreasonably object.
The new pathway in plain English
Under the proposed Section 132D, an owner can install an electric vehicle charging station on their lot — even where the work affects common property — provided:
- The owner gives the strata committee a written installation notice, with the information and documents the regulations will require.
- The committee either gives a written no-objection notice, OR fails to respond within the required time (in which case a no-objection is deemed to have been given).
The 3-month committee deadline
Within 3 months of receiving the installation notice (or such longer period prescribed by regulation), the strata committee must do one of two things:
- Give a no-objection notice; OR
- Give the owner a written notice of objection with reasons.
If neither happens — the application is deemed approved.
No unreasonable refusals — and by-laws can't block
Two important protections sit alongside the new pathway:
- A committee must not unreasonably object to an EV charging station installation.
- A by-law has no force or effect to the extent that it would unreasonably prohibit an installation.
If a committee objects and the owner thinks the objection is unreasonable, the Tribunal can order the committee to issue a no-objection notice. The regulations may also specify circumstances where an objection — or a by-law prohibition — will be considered unreasonable.
Who pays for what
Section 132E sets out the financial position. The owner installing the charger:
- Bears the cost of installation
- Indemnifies the owners corporation against reasonable maintenance and operating costs
- Indemnifies the owners corporation against damage to common property arising from installation or operation
- Covers any further costs prescribed by regulation
One important procedural change
Sections 108-110 (the cosmetic / minor / major renovation provisions) do not apply to work carried out under the new Section 132D. So an EV install under 132D is its own pathway — not a minor renovation or works application.
What this means for your scheme
For townhouse and villa owners: this is a real win. Most townhouse complexes have driveways or carports where charging makes obvious sense. Once Bill 2025 commences, owners will have a clear right of approach, a hard deadline, and a deemed-approval backstop.
For committees: have a process ready. When an installation notice arrives, log the date, get advice if needed, and respond within 3 months. Vague or aesthetic objections won't fly.
For everyone: it's still worth getting the install right. Electrical compliance, fire safety, insurance, and maintenance responsibility need to be addressed properly. We can help draft the right paperwork — even under the new pathway, clarity protects all owners.
Source
Bannermans Lawyers — "Charging ahead: NSW rewrites the rules for EV installations" (24 April 2026): bannermans.com.au/library/charging-ahead-nsw-rewrites-the-rules-for-ev-installations
Strata Schemes Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025 (NSW Parliament — pending). Bill text and current status: parliament.nsw.gov.au