EV Charger Grants for Apartments Australia 2026: Federal, State and Strata Funding

Installing EV chargers in apartment buildings has been one of the hardest problems in Australian EV adoption. The good news: funding and legislative support have improved significantly. Between ARENA grants, state programs, new strata laws, and building code changes, there is now real money available to get charging infrastructure into apartment car parks.

This guide covers every grant, loan, and funding mechanism available for apartment EV charging in Australia as of 2026. For the practical guide to getting body corporate approval, see how to get a strata EV charger approved. For managing without home charging in the meantime, see charging an EV in an apartment.

Summary: apartment EV charger funding at a glance

Program	Type	Who applies	Amount	Status
ARENA Driving the Nation	Grant	Charging providers, body corporates	Varies by round	Active (rounds open/close)
CEFC Household Energy Upgrades Fund	Concessional loan	Individual residents via lenders	Up to loan limit	Active
Sustainability Victoria EV Ready Buildings	Grant	Body corporates (VIC only)	Varies by round	Active (check current round)
ACT Sustainable Household Scheme	Low-interest loan (3%)	Individual residents (ACT only)	Up to $15,000	Active
Environmental Upgrade Agreements	Rates-based finance	Body corporates (NSW, VIC, SA)	No fixed cap	Active
Novated lease bundling	Pre-tax salary sacrifice	Individual employees with EV lease	Provider-dependent	Active

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Federal funding

ARENA Driving the Nation Fund

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency administers the Driving the Nation Fund — a $500 million commitment to EV charging and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. While the bulk of this funding targets highway fast charging and public networks, specific rounds have included multi-dwelling residential charging.

ARENA’s approach is to fund project proponents — charging companies, body corporates, councils, and community organisations — rather than individual apartment residents. If your building wants to install shared charging infrastructure for 10+ bays, an ARENA grant could cover a significant portion of the upfront infrastructure cost (cabling, switchboard upgrades, load management systems).

How to access it:

• Your body corporate or strata manager applies directly to ARENA during open funding rounds
• Alternatively, engage a charging provider (JET Charge, EVSE Australia, Chargefox) who may already hold ARENA funding for multi-dwelling projects
• Check arena.gov.au for current open rounds — they open and close periodically

What it typically covers:

• Electrical infrastructure (sub-mains, distribution boards, cable pathways)
• Load management systems
• Smart charging hardware
• Not typically individual charger units for private use

CEFC Household Energy Upgrades Fund

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation administers a $1 billion Household Energy Upgrades Fund providing concessional (below-market-rate) loans for home energy improvements, including EV charger installation.

Unlike ARENA grants, this fund is accessed by individual residents through participating banks and lenders. You apply for a green loan or add an energy upgrade component to an existing mortgage product.

What it covers: EV charger hardware and installation, solar panels, batteries, heat pumps, insulation, and other energy efficiency upgrades.

How to access it:

• Apply through a CEFC-partnered lender (check cefc.com.au for the current list)
• The loan covers the full cost of the charger and installation
• You repay at a discounted interest rate — this is finance, not a grant

Best for: Individual apartment residents who want to fund their own charger installation at a lower interest rate than a standard personal loan.

FBT exemption and novated lease bundling

If you salary sacrifice an EV through a novated lease under the federal FBT exemption (Treasury Laws Amendment (Electric Car Discount) Act 2022), most lease providers allow you to bundle a home EV charger into the arrangement.

The charger hardware and installation cost is included in your lease running costs and paid from pre-tax salary. On a marginal tax rate of 30% (income $45,001–$135,000 under Stage 3 rates), a $3,000 charger installation effectively costs you ~$2,100 after the tax benefit.

Key rules:

• The EV must be a battery electric vehicle (PHEVs excluded from new arrangements after 1 April 2025)
• The vehicle’s value must be below the luxury car tax threshold for fuel-efficient vehicles ($89,332 for 2024-25)
• The charger must be primarily for charging the novated lease vehicle
• Some providers cap charger costs at $3,000–$5,000

Providers that support charger bundling: Maxxia, SG Fleet, Autopia, SmartLeasing, and others. Check with your employer’s provider.

For a full breakdown of novated lease EV savings, see our novated lease calculator.

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State programs

Victoria — Sustainability Victoria EV Ready Buildings

Victoria has the most developed state-level apartment EV charging program. Sustainability Victoria administers the EV Ready Buildings grants, which fund shared charging infrastructure in apartment buildings.

What it covers:

• Electrical capacity assessments
• Distribution board upgrades
• Cable pathways (conduit and trunking) from meter boards to car parks
• Smart charging and load management hardware

Amount: Grants have varied by round — previous rounds offered up to $5,000 per charging outlet, with building-wide grants for larger infrastructure projects. Check the current round for exact figures.

Eligibility:

• Victorian apartment buildings with multiple car spaces
• Body corporate must demonstrate approval for the works
• Plan for fair access across residents

How to apply: Through Sustainability Victoria’s website during open funding rounds. Your strata manager or body corporate committee submits the application.

Note: Funding rounds open and close — check sustainability.vic.gov.au for current availability.

ACT — Sustainable Household Scheme

The ACT’s Sustainable Household Scheme provides low-interest loans of up to $15,000, repaid over up to 10 years through the scheme’s finance partner, Brighte. EV charger installation is an eligible upgrade.

Since 1 July 2025, standard loans carry a 3% interest rate. Concession card holders retain access to 0% interest through the Home Energy Support Program. Even at 3%, this is significantly below market personal loan rates and remains one of the most generous individual-resident programs in Australia.

Eligibility: ACT owner-occupiers. The charger must be from an approved product list and installed by a certified electrician.

How to apply: Register at climatechoices.act.gov.au and add the EV charger to your upgrade list.

NSW — strongest strata legislation, limited direct funding

NSW has no dedicated apartment EV charger grant, but it has the strongest legislative framework for getting approval. Two Acts have progressively lowered the bar:

• The Strata Schemes Management Amendment (Sustainability Infrastructure) Act 2021 introduced a “sustainability infrastructure resolution” — a modified special resolution requiring less than 50% of unit entitlements to vote against (easier than a standard special resolution).
• The Strata Schemes Legislation Amendment Act 2025 (effective 1 July 2025) lowered this further to a simple majority — effectively an ordinary resolution.

This means:

• A NSW apartment owner can now get charger installation approved with a simple majority vote
• The body corporate cannot unreasonably refuse a compliant installation
• The applicant bears all costs

While there is no state grant to offset the installation cost, the legislative pathway is significantly easier than in any other state. For the practical application guide, see strata EV charger approval.

Queensland, SA, WA, TAS, NT

These states have no dedicated apartment EV charger grant programs as of 2026. Residents rely on:

• Federal programs (CEFC loans, novated lease bundling)
• Body corporate approval under respective strata legislation
• Environmental Upgrade Agreements (SA only — see below)

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Environmental Upgrade Agreements (EUAs)

EUAs are an underused financing mechanism that can fund building-wide EV charging infrastructure with zero upfront cost to the body corporate.

How EUAs work

1. The building owner (body corporate), a lender, and the local council enter a three-way agreement
2. The lender provides funds for the upgrade — EV charging infrastructure, solar, batteries, HVAC, or any combination
3. The council collects repayments through a charge on the property’s rates
4. The charge stays with the property if it’s sold — it’s tied to the building, not the individual owner
5. Repayments are offset by the value of the upgrade (energy savings, increased property value, charging revenue)

Where EUAs are available

State	Enabling legislation	Key councils	Facilitator
Victoria	Local Government Act 2020	Melbourne, Yarra, Port Phillip, Merri-bek, Darebin, and others	Sustainable Australia Fund
NSW	Local Government Act 1993, s54P	City of Sydney, Parramatta, North Sydney, and others	Various lenders
SA	Local Government Act 1999	City of Adelaide and others	Various

Queensland, WA, TAS, ACT, NT: EUA legislation is not broadly available.

Why EUAs suit apartment EV charging

• No upfront capital required — the body corporate doesn’t need to fund the infrastructure from the sinking fund
• Rates-based repayment gives lenders security, enabling competitive interest rates (typically 4–7%)
• Covers full infrastructure — sub-mains, switchboard upgrades, conduit, load management, and chargers
• Stays with the building — if the building is sold, the new owner inherits the charge and the infrastructure

How to access an EUA

Contact the Sustainable Australia Fund (sustainableaustraliafund.com.au) in Victoria, or your local council’s sustainability team in NSW or SA. They will assess your building’s eligibility and connect you with an approved lender.

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NCC requirements for new apartment buildings

If you are buying into a new apartment development, the building may already have EV-ready infrastructure — or be required to.

NCC 2022

The National Construction Code 2022 introduced energy efficiency provisions encouraging (but not universally mandating) EV-ready infrastructure in new Class 2 buildings (apartments). The specific requirements vary by state adoption.

State-level mandates

• Victoria: Mandated EV-ready provisions for new apartments from 2023–24, requiring cabling provisions to car spaces in new buildings
• ACT: Early adopter of similar EV-ready requirements
• NSW: Adopted NCC 2022 provisions; further strengthening is anticipated
• Other states: Progressively adopting, but not yet mandatory in all jurisdictions

What “EV-ready” means in practice

• Conduit/cable pathways from the main switchboard to the car park
• Adequate electrical capacity in the building design for future EV charging loads
• Designated space on distribution boards for future EV circuits

If you are buying off the plan, ask the developer specifically: “Is this building NCC 2022 EV-ready compliant, and what electrical capacity has been provisioned for EV charging in the car park?” A building with pre-run conduit and spare switchboard capacity can have a charger installed for $1,500–$2,500. A building without it can cost $5,000–$15,000+ per bay for the cable run alone.

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What apartment EV charging actually costs

The cost varies enormously depending on the building’s existing electrical infrastructure.

Individual installation (one bay)

Scenario	Cost range
Short cable run (<20m), adequate switchboard	$2,000–$4,500 all-in
Long cable run or multi-level car park	$5,000–$10,000
Switchboard upgrade required	Add $1,000–$3,000
New electrical supply from grid (rare)	Add $10,000–$50,000+

Building-wide shared infrastructure

Component	Cost range
Load management system	$3,000–$10,000
Electrical sub-main and distribution board	$5,000–$20,000
Per-bay cost at scale (4+ chargers)	$800–$1,500 per bay
Charger hardware per bay (7kW AC, networked)	$1,000–$2,500

Building-wide infrastructure has a higher upfront cost but dramatically lower per-bay cost. A building spending $30,000 on shared infrastructure for 10 bays pays $3,000 per bay — less than what a single resident would pay for an individual installation in a complex building.

How grants reduce the cost

Funding source	Typical saving per bay
Sustainability Victoria EV Ready Buildings	Up to $5,000/outlet (varies by round)
EUA (zero upfront, rates-based repayment)	100% of upfront cost deferred
CEFC concessional loan	Lower interest rate (saving ~$200–$500 over loan term)
Novated lease bundling	30–37% tax saving on charger cost
ARENA project grant	Varies — can cover infrastructure costs

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The best path forward for your building

If you’re a single resident wanting a charger

1. Check if your building has EV-ready infrastructure (ask strata manager)
2. Get a quote from a licensed electrician
3. If you have a novated lease, bundle the charger into it for tax savings
4. If you’re in the ACT, apply for the Sustainable Household Scheme low-interest loan
5. If you’re in NSW, submit your notice of intended work under the sustainability infrastructure amendments (simple majority since 1 July 2025)
6. Submit your strata application — see our full approval guide

If your body corporate wants building-wide charging

1. Commission an electrical capacity assessment of the building
2. In Victoria, apply for Sustainability Victoria EV Ready Buildings funding
3. In NSW, VIC, or SA, explore an Environmental Upgrade Agreement for zero-upfront financing
4. Engage a multi-dwelling charging provider (JET Charge, EVSE Australia, Chargefox) who may hold ARENA funding
5. Choose OCPP-compliant chargers with load management for scalability
6. Set up per-user billing through the charge management platform

If you’re buying into a new development

1. Ask the developer about NCC 2022 EV-ready compliance
2. Ask specifically about conduit provisions and spare switchboard capacity
3. Victoria and ACT buildings from 2023–24 onward should have mandatory EV provisions
4. Factor the cost of future charger installation into your purchase decision — a building with pre-run conduit saves $3,000–$10,000 vs one without

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The bottom line

Apartment EV charging in Australia is no longer an unsolvable problem. The funding landscape has real options — from ARENA project grants and Sustainability Victoria rebates to EUAs that eliminate upfront costs entirely. The legislative landscape is improving too, with NSW leading the way on right-to-install protections and Victoria mandating EV-ready infrastructure in new buildings.

The gap that remains is a direct federal grant for individual apartment residents. Until that arrives, the most effective paths are novated lease bundling (for employees with salary sacrifice access), the ACT Sustainable Household Scheme low-interest loans (for ACT residents), and EUAs (for body corporates in NSW, VIC, and SA).

For help choosing the right charger for your apartment installation, see our EV charger comparison tool. For the full strata approval playbook, see how to get a strata EV charger approved.