Anti-gas City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore has gas cooktop in Redfern terrace

Clover Moore recently said politicians “must do everything we can to address global boiling” while advocating for a ban on gas in new homes. But she is not leading by example.

Clover Moore wants to stop people cooking with gas at home but has not installed an electric stove in her $3 million Redfern terrace.

The Lord Mayor last week declared she was proud to support a “Team Clover” motion for the City of Sydney to investigate how to amend planning controls to ban gas in new dwellings, saying politicians had to do “everything we can to address global boiling”.

However, experts are now casting doubt on whether the prohibition would actually do more good than harm while critics are asking why Ms Moore is not leading by example.

The Daily Telegraph has confirmed the tenants in the Lord Mayor’s four-bedroom property on Kepos St in Redfern have been provided with a gas stove.

Another investment property Ms Moore owns on Elizabeth St at Zetland also uses gas, as does the Bourke St, Redfern unit block in which she rents.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Master Plumbers Association of NSW CEO Nathaniel Smith said the Lord Mayor “should lead by example if she is trying to tell people how to live their lives”.

One of the few councillors to oppose the anti-gas motion, Liberal Lyndon Gannon, said if city residents wanted gas then that option should remain available.

“That’s why I voted against the city’s motion that asked our CEO to investigate opportunities to require future developments to be all-electric,” Mr Gannon said.

“I have worked in many restaurants over the years and am an avid cook. My preference is to cook with gas over electric,” he added.

University of Sydney behavioural finance expert Andrew Grant said the City’s move would limit consumers’ ability to shop around for the best deal and noted that research had shown there would likely be marginal emissions reduction benefits.

“I think it’s probably not the most effective policy,” Associate Professor Grant said.

Lyndon Gannon opposed Clover’s gas move. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“It seems to be the council is overreaching what it is supposed to be doing.”

Still, analysis for anti-fossil-fuel group 350 Australia found there would be substantial cost and pollution savings.

“We feel really confident in our research,” said 350 CEO Lucy Manne.

The Telegraph asked the City of Sydney’s media office whether Ms Moore was using gas for cooking, as well as whether her home had gas hot water or gas heating, and whether there was an active gas connection.

A spokeswoman said “the Lord Mayor has an electric induction cooktop in her home” on Bourke St but would not answer questions about Ms Moore’s heating or the gas connection.

The Telegraph advised the City of Sydney’s media office on Tuesday that this story would also cover the residences owned by Ms Moore. There was no reply.

The spokeswoman did however point out that “existing properties are not affected by the proposed change,” which would only apply to new builds.

Ms Moore’s properties are under the microscope. Picture: Damian Shaw

In 2021, the City of Sydney estimated about 42,000 new dwellings would be built in its local government area over 20 years, bringing the total number of homes to 165,000.

The anti-gas motion was proposed by “Team Clover” councillor Emelda Davis, who told The Telegraph her home was all-electric.

“I am a single mother who has resided in social housing with a chronically ill child for close to three decades,” Ms Davis said, with “gas usage her health condition would have been worse”.

Labor councillor Linda Scott, who supported the motion, said her home had a “mix of power sources” like “so many older inner city houses”.

“Having investigated the cost and difficulty of converting my home to renewables, I discovered Lord Mayor Clover Moore’s former planning policies prevented me from installing solar panels on my roof, and the process of converting my home from gas to renewable electricity was made more costly and challenging by City of Sydney red tape,” Ms Scott said.