Clover Moore’s City of Sydney council bans gas in new homes from December 31
Gas appliances will be banned in any new homes built in the City of Sydney, where the council has also set its sights on connections in new offices, hotels and serviced apartments.
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Gas appliances will be banned in any new homes built in the City of Sydney from next year under a motion which passed Lord Mayor Clover Moore’s council on Monday.
The City of Sydney is also proposing to ban gas from new offices, hotels and serviced apartments.
Councillors voted unanimously on Monday night to adopt the motion banning gas from all new residential developments from December 31 — despite Ms Moore conceding in 2023 that the state government was ultimately responsible for the issue.
The City of Sydney has been trying to ban gas from new homes for years.
When the council voted to call for a ban on new gas connections in 2023, it led to calls for Premier Chris Minns to step in and block councils unilaterally imposing bans on gas appliances.
According to a statement put out by Greens councillors on Monday, the council voted to impose bans on gas appliances in any new homes from December 31.
The council also voted to seek public feedback on a plan which would “require” renewable energy to be used in a range of other developments, including large office blocks, hotels, and serviced apartments.
In a statement on Monday night, Greens councillor Matthew Thompson likened cooking with a gas stove to smoking cigarettes “in an enclosed room with your child”.
“These changes are an easy step we can take right now to save lives and save families money,” he said.
Greens councillors claimed the ban on new gas connections would save households $626 per year in energy bills.
In 2023, when council first voted in favour of a gas appliance ban, Ms Moore said the NSW government ultimately had “jurisdiction” to allow or block new gas connections.
The state government has the power to put planning rules in place to override councils.
At the time, Mr Minns rejected a statewide ban on new gas connections.
Celebrity chef and restaurateur Luke Mangan questioned the gas ban on Monday.
“Let’s hope the decision-makers have their facts right - gas has been a consistent reliable commodity to cook from,” he said.
He said he would “applaud” the decision if it led to energy costs coming down but said families should have “choice” about the stovetops they used.
Liberal councillor Lyndon Gannon - who voted in favour of the gas ban - insisted it would “not kill the family barbecue” as the policy did not stop people using gas bottles.
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Originally published as Clover Moore’s City of Sydney council bans gas in new homes from December 31
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