Canterbury-Bankstown Council bans gas, pushes solar in CBD revival plan

The state’s biggest council will ban gas appliances from new apartment buildings and go solely electric instead as part of an innovative green initiative.

In a Sydney first, backed by leading chef Neil Perry, Canterbury-Bankstown Council will ban gas fittings from new apartment buildings in two key precincts in a green initiative they hope other councils will adopt.

The proposal would allow developers to erect taller buildings in the Bankstown and Campsie CBDs in return for making them 100 per cent electric and ensure at least 40 per cent of its energy comes from solar panels.

Council’s director of planning Simon Manoski said “there were some concerns” about banning gas.

Celebrated chef Neil Perry uses electric to cook at his restaurants. Picture: Toby Zerna

“But there are examples – and Neil Perry is one of them – where they are actually moving towards (electric) induction themselves,” Mr Manoski said, referring to Mr Perry’s installation of electric cooking at Sydney’s Rockpool restaurant.

“If you look at cities like Hong Kong. the intel from over there that they’re moving towards induction cooking.

“This will be a small change in terms of Canterbury-Bankstown, but when you start replicating that across 20, 30, 40, 50 centres across Sydney, the efficiency gains start to add up.”

Mr Perry backed Canterbury-Bankstown’s plan, saying he has got high powered woks at his Spice Temple restaurant which allow better temperature control than gas.

The new Saigon Place in Bankstown.

The future of Bankstown will feature a multi-level university and a new billion-dollar hospital.

The move is part of the proposed new draft master plans for the two town centres, as well as its draft Economic Development Strategy and draft Night Time Economy Action Plan.

The changes would expand the number of sites around Bankstown that could go to 25 storeys, while in Campsie buildings could go up 20 storeys from the current limit of eight storeys.

The change is driven in part by a new metro line due to commence operation in 2024, with investigations underway to extend this through to Liverpool and the new Western Sydney aerotropolis.

The new metro station at Bankstown.

Canterbury Labor Mayor Khal Asfour said the master plans will create places that the community can be proud of.

“Bankstown will be growing into a more jobs-focused centre, capitalising on the new metro, a 22-storey university and new planned hospital,” Mr Asfour said.

“The Campsie master plan will focus on reconnecting the town centre to the Cooks River, providing more employment-uses close to the hospital and reinforcing the character of Beamish St.”

Canterbury-Bankstown currently has 378,000 residents and 118,000 local jobs.

This is expected to grow to 500,000 residents and 155,000 workers by 2036.

Originally published as Canterbury-Bankstown Council bans gas, pushes solar in CBD revival plan