Wentworth MP Allegra Spender urges federal Labor Government to ban gas in new developments across Australia

A federal MP is calling on the government to ban gas heating and cooking in newly-built homes across the country, in line with a local council’s decision from her electorate.

Allegra Spender. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

A federal MP is calling on the government to ban gas heating and cooking in newly-built homes across the country, in line with a Sydney council’s decision.

Ahead of the federal government’s May budget, Wentworth federal Teal MP Allegra Spender has urged Labor to focus on lowering homeowners' power bills by focusing on “household electrification” and requiring new developments to have electricity-powered heating and cooking.

It comes after Labor last year committed $1 billion in loans to assist households to install solar panels and remove gas hot-water systems and stovetops, among other energy efficient measures.

However, Ms Spender told The Daily Telegraph she is focused on keeping the “pressure on” and praised Waverley Council for passing planning conditions at the end of 2022, forbidding the installation of gas stoves, ovens and heating in new residential developments.

She said the council had “shown that the sky doesn’t fall” when banning new gas connections and she would be using that as an example at a federal government level.

“The real problem is … across Australia, we’re putting in more gas connections each year than we are taking out,” she said.

“We know that gas is a damaging fossil fuel that’s bad for the environment, we know that gas actually in the home is bad for people’s health, particularly asthma in kids, and we know that people would be saving money, if instead of choosing gas, they chose an electric appliance.”

Photo: Scott Olson / GETTY IMAGES

The Daily Telegraph previously reported that the ban also came despite Waverley Council’s own analysis across 2016-2017 showing gas was responsible for just 6.2 per cent of emissions – compared to electricity contributing 62 per cent of emissions.

Ms Spender, however, believes putting gas connections in new developments “just doesn’t make sense”, but isn’t looking for an overnight fix.

“You have to be really pragmatic … it’s not about saying, ‘okay, everyone … throw out their gas stoves today’,” she said.

“It’s about saying ‘when your stove reaches end of life … let’s put in one that’s going to save you money, is better for the environment and better for your health’.”

And when it comes to those complaining that gas stoves are better for cooking, Ms Spender pointed to leading chef Neil Perry who’s “really been at the forefront” of transitioning to electric connections.

“You don’t need to be cooking on gas to be a great chef,” Ms Spender said.

“There’s no more influential, I think, chef in this area than him and that’s the point, I think there’s much better alternatives and it’s time for at least the new builds to not put those connections in anymore.”

Ms Spender is hoping to lead the way in providing education, resources and support to help households, businesses and individuals to reduce greenhouse emissions while saving money on their power bills.

She has collaborated with Waverley, Woollahra and Randwick councils for March Net Zero Month to host four events across her electorate.