Climate emergency: Gas appliances banned on Mornington Peninsula by 2040

The backyard barbie could be changed forever because of an ambitious plan to rewrite the planning rules.

A controversial bid to ban gas cooking and heating on the Mornington Peninsula has been exposed.

Mornington Peninsula Shire’s Climate Emergency Plan commits to moving to zero carbon energy by 2040.

The plan was adopted in August 2020 but there has been little discussion about how it will be applied or what it means for residents.

On Tuesday night councillor Steve Holland revealed that the policy included banning gas appliances, including hot water systems, stove tops and even backyard barbecues.

Cr Holland said it was not the council’s role to create energy policy.

“We need to be looking past all of the warm and fuzzy language and some of the technical jargon. I really do see this as an attempt by council to overstep its responsibility as far as natural gas is concerned

“I think regardless of one’s views our community does not believe that climate change is in the remit of local government.”

However, deputy mayor Sarah Race said climate change was everybody’s responsibility.

“We are heading to a climate crisis and the buck stops with all of us,” she said.

Cr David Gill said the community was willing to act and also wanted the council to act on its behalf.

The gas revelation came during a debate about joining a multi-council campaign to influence planning policy for all new buildings by raising environmentally sustainable design standards.

The campaign is being led by the Council Alliance for a Sustainable Built Environment (CASBE) and includes Moreland and Yarra councils, both dominated by Greens ideology.

Mayor Despi O’Connor said the CASBE project was a chance to strengthen environmentally sustainable design (ESD) policy and help the community increase its resilience in the face of a climate crisis.

The shire already pays an annual subscription fee to CABSE of $8000 and will pay another $5600 to join the ESD project.

Should the project lead to a planning scheme amendment the shire would have to pay up to $30,000 more.

Speaking after the meeting Cr Holland said he was worried that the community didn’t know about the council’s long term plan to phase out natural gas.

“Some people have suggested I am fear mongering, but I think the community needs certainty about council’s exact policy because the Climate Emergency Plan states that natural gas will be phased out for all of the Mornington Peninsula, not just for new builds,” he said.

“The vote last night is a step forward toward phasing out all natural gas by 2040 in line with the Shire’s target and I’m very concerned people won’t be able to afford relying solely on electricity and aren’t aware that it’s happening.”

Cr O’Connor later clarified the council’s stance on her Facebook page.

“We are not stopping gas or banning its use. We can’t do that nor did we,” she posted.

“Council resolved by majority to join other councils on the CASBE project to advance ESD policy in Victoria.

“Zero carbon developments are new buildings that have no net carbon emissions. They are typically designed and built to be highly energy efficient and do not use gas or coal fired electricity through a combination of rooftop solar and buying off-site renewable energy.

“This planning work is in fact the remit of council and a big part of our work.”

A poll run on Cr Holland’s Facebook page drew more than 300 responses.

A total of 280 were against the plan to phase out natural gas and 22 were in favour.