9 October 2025

Former Williamsdale servo perfect for EV charging station, says SLA

| By Ian Bushnell
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The service station site is ideally positioned. Photo: SLA.

The former Williamsdale service station site, located in the far south of the ACT, could be reborn as an electric vehicle charging centre.

The Suburban Land Agency has put the 10,934 square metre block on the market and says the site has potential for such a use given its position on the Monaro Highway and being a connecting point between Canberra, Cooma, the Snowy Mountains and the South Coast.

Thirty-five kilometres from Canberra CBD, it would be the last ACT stop before Cooma, 78 km down the highway.

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The SLA says the site would still make an ideal base for keeping people moving, especially given the dearth of service stations in the area.

“It’s well-placed for housing renewable energy infrastructure like EV charging stations,” the SLA says.

The site is located next to a renewable energy precinct, with the 11.137 MW, 29 ha Williamsdale Solar Park to the rear, and adjacent to that, the grid-scale battery being developed by Eku Energy in partnership with the ACT Government.

If the site were to be revived as a petrol station, a sale condition would be that the new owner would have to provide four high-voltage EV chargers.

Motorists, EV or otherwise, travelling to and from the coast or mountains, would welcome a stop on the southern edge of the ACT to fuel or charge up.

The site operated as a petrol station for 51 years before closing in 2012.

The former ACTEW Corporation, now known as Icon Water, bought the block from long-time owner Bob Moore for $1 million in 2009, but retained the service station, which Mr Moore operated until ill health forced him to close in 2012.

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Tuggeranong Block 1405 is zoned NUZ2 – Rural Zone and is scheduled to go to auction on 26 November 2025.

It will be held at Ray White Tuggeranong, Unit 11-18, 146 Scollay Street, Greenway, at 11 am.

Ray White Commercial is marketing the site on behalf of the SLA.

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Capital Retro12:22 pm 09 Oct 25

It wasn’t selling a lot of petrol when it closed so why will is sell a lot of electricity when there are so few EVs.

Why did ACTEW/ICON buy it in the first place?

They have a habit of getting involved in loss-making side ventures and this looks like another one about to happen.

CR it was very profitable in the 80s and 90s. But what a bizarre suggestion – an EV charging station just minutes from Canberra.

Do you think customers would enjoy spending an hour charging their dreammobile before driving the further 15 minutes home ?

Two like minds collide!

Careful Jack, you might collide with some common sense if you hang around for too long. 🙂

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