City of Sydney votes to ban all new homes from having a gas connection

Clover Moore’s City of Sydney council has voted to ban gas for all new homes and businesses.

The motion passed council on Monday night, with eight out of 10 councillors supporting the ban. 

The move will introduce clauses to developing rules which require new homes and businesses to install electric appliances including stoves, cooktops, heaters and hot water units. 

The City of Sydney became the latest council to vote to ban new gas connections despite NSW Premier Chris Minns ruling out a statewide gas ban last month. 

Deputy Lord Mayor and Greens Councillor Sylvie Ellsmore pushed the ban, with council papers claiming the ban on gas is ‘based on the health, economic and environmental benefits that all-electric buildings produce for future occupants’. 

Waverly and Parramatta councils have endorsed the ban, while Randwick council will vote on a motion on Tuesday night for the ban to be implemented statewide.

Sydney’s peak business lobby is calling for the state government to block local councils from imposing the ban to avoid ‘different rules across the state’. 

City of Sydney Council wants to also force homes and businesses to get rid of their already existing gas in favour of electric connections. 

Council papers urge staff to consider ‘any other potential amendments that would facilitate or speed up the transition of existing resident and non-residential buildings in the City of Sydney to become all-electric and gas-free’. 

Under the 1979 EPA Act, councils have the power to implement their own bans by imposing conditions on development applications despite the Minns government claiming it will not institute a statewide gas ban.

Liberal Councillor at Randwick Council Christie Hamilton told 2GB host Ben Fordham on Tuesday the plan to ban gas is ‘nonsense’. 

‘I think it’s nonsense, it’s so out of touch with the cost of living pressures that everyone is feeling right now,’ Ms Hamilton said.

‘This motion says that electricity is cheaper to run meaning lower energy bills. That’s just not true. 

‘We don’t have an alternative to turn off gas for an equally priced alternative. If we did, we could do it, but we don’t.’

City of Sydney Council wants to also force homes and businesses to get rid of their already existing gas in favour of electric connections (pictured, Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore)

Ms Hamilton, who has been on Randwick Council since 2017, said the issue with gas has ‘bubbled’ away in the background but will come to the forefront during council’s meeting. 

Randwick Councillors will not be voting to ban gas on new developments or to introduce the planning control measures in Randwick council. 

Rather, councilors will vote to send through a motion to the local government NSW annual conference to call on the state government to ban gas across the entire state.

Ms Hamilton said she will be arguing against the motion as it affects all Australians. 

‘I will be arguing against this [motion], I find it to be very dismissive of Randwick residents, rate payers and renters, this affects everybody,’ Ms Hamilton said.  

She urged Premier Chris Minns to consider NSW residents struggling with the cost of living. 

‘Chris Minns needs to consider what he needs to do for NSW residents and I believe considering how costly it is to live right now, how bills are already going through the roof, this is not something we should do right now,’ Ms Hamilton said.