Construction has begun at the site of Sydney's first purpose-built electric bus depot at Macquarie Park.
The new depot in Sydney's north will charge and operate 150 cleaner, quieter electric buses and is an important moment for the Minns Labor Government's phased transition for the state's 8,000-strong diesel and gas fleet over the next two decades.
Construction of the jointly funded depot is expected to be completed and operational in 2028.
Once open, the depot will employ 160 staff, including drivers, maintenance workers and administration personnel.
The new buses at Macquarie Park will support the existing Ryde and Willoughby depots that were opened in 1953 and 1958 respectively, enhancing service delivery across Sydney's lower north shore, northwest suburbs, Ryde and Parramatta.
The new depot will have both standard (75-kilowatt) and fast (150-kilowatt) plug-in charging infrastructure, enabling the electric buses to travel up to 300 kilometres on a single charge.
In September last year, Brookvale became the first of Sydney's 11 bus depots to be fitted out for the electric transformation, with Australia's first gantry-mounted, fast-charging station installed.
Leichhardt and Kingsgrove are expected to have electric bus charging technology installed later this year.
The NSW Government's Zero Emissions Bus Program is delivering more than 1,200 new electric buses by 2028.
For Stage 1 of the program, the use of electricity from the grid is supported through purchased renewable energy credits.
The Minns Labor Government's 2025-26 Budget addressed rising demand for more bus services across Sydney and regional NSW, with an additional $452 million to
increase the number of services and accelerate the rollout of new buses on to the road.
Contractor Fulton Hogan starts work on the Talavera Road site at Macquarie Park this week.
The Australian and NSW governments have each committed $115 million to jointly fund the Zero Emission Buses Tranche 1 Infrastructure - Macquarie Park Depot project.
Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King:
"The Australian Government is pleased to be funding this crucial project in Macquarie Park, ensuring Sydney's transport infrastructure is ready for the future.
"By transforming this site into a state-of-the-art electric bus depot, we are directly investing in cleaner air, quieter streets and a more sustainable transport network for growing communities."
Quotes attributable to NSW Minister for Transport John Graham:
"The sight of shovels going into the ground at Macquarie Park is a major step on the path to transitioning our very large NSW bus fleet to the cleaner, quieter, smoother ride of electric buses.
"The buses that charge up here will be a welcome addition for passengers from Parramatta to Ryde and highly bus dependent suburbs across Sydney's northwest and lower north shore.
"The electric bus transformation is providing welcome local jobs in the construction phase and in the transport sector once this high-tech depot is operational."
Quotes attributable to NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Marjorie O'Neill:
"This depot will support new technology buses and local jobs, to deliver smoother and quieter trips for passengers across the lower north shore, north-west Sydney, Ryde and Parramatta.
"The multi-billion-dollar program will progressively transition NSW's 8000-plus diesel and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) public transport buses to electric buses over the next two decades."
Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Bennelong Jerome Laxale:
"Construction starting on this project at Macquarie Park is fantastic news for local jobs and local manufacturing.
"This $230 million investment, in partnership with the NSW Government, is about fostering a new industry of zero-emission technology, creating specialised jobs and transforming how Sydney moves."
