Queries on Victorian gas switch ‘ignored’

Victoria’s Department of ­Energy, Environment and Climate Action has been accused of ignoring key questions about the impact of the Allan government’s gas policy – including how many jobs will be lost.

Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

Victoria’s Department of ­Energy, Environment and Climate Action has been accused of ignoring key questions about the impact of the Allan government’s gas policy – including how many jobs will be lost.

Gas industry sources say a Q&A session was held at the end of a stakeholder briefing on Friday, which followed the government’s unveiling of its Gas Substitution Roadmap update on Thursday, but many questions were “simply ignored”.

These included questions such as “Has the government considered the enormous job losses this policy will cause?”, and whether the government is likely to provide further support for Victorians who cannot afford to convert their homes from gas to electricity, given that it estimates the outlay, after subsidies, is likely to be $6000 to $13,000 for the average household.

In July, the then Andrews government announced it would ban gas connections to all new homes requiring a building permit from January 1.

Thursday’s roadmap update included a commitment from the government to conduct a regulatory impact statement in 2024, to consult on expanding the gas connection ban to all new residential and some commercial buildings. It also plans to assess the costs and benefits of requiring households and some commercial buildings to replace gas appliances with electric ones at the end of their lives.

Stakeholders say another key question that went unanswered in Friday’s session related to the fact that no regulatory impact statement was conducted ahead of the announcement of the January 1 ban.

“Why should we expect an unbiased and thorough regulatory impact statement process for future decisions on gas transition?” they asked the department, but received no response.

Last month, the gas appliance industry warned the government’s policies would cost 1300 jobs within six to 12 months.

The concerns from industry come as a senior Labor source slammed Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio for tweets she ­issued last week in which she stated: “There’s a growing body of evidence showing the impact contaminants from gas stoves have in increasing risks of childhood asthma and respiratory illness. That’s not safe.”

“There’s two million households (in Victoria) with gas kitchens who have just been told by the Energy Minister that their stove is making their kids sick,” the Labor figure said.

“These are renters and low-income Victorians who can’t ­afford to rip out their existing system and replace it with an electric one who will now be anxious about cooking dinner for their families.

“This is another example of this minister pursuing an agenda that suits the interests of the inner-city suburb she lives in, not the outer-suburban voters she was elected to represent.”

Ms D’Ambrosio lives in inner-city Brunswick despite being the MP for outer northern Mill Park. Asked about the tweets, Ms D’Ambrosio said: “There is a growing body of evidence from the medical profession that says that moving to all-electric appliances in the home is better for your health.”

In response to questions regarding the stakeholder engagement briefing, an Allan government spokeswoman said: “Phasing out new gas connections was based on consultation and engagement undertaken as part of the Gas Substitution Roadmap and ahead of the July announcement.”

“This measure attracted widespread industry support including from the Property Council and Energy Efficiency Council,” the spokeswoman said.

“We will continue to reform our rebate and discount policies to support consumers who make the transition to all electric.”

“We’re consulting with industry on the next steps of gas substitution in Victoria, ensuring industry and consumers are a part of the energy transition towards net zero by 2045.”

There is a growing body of evidence showing the impact contaminants from gas stoves have in increasing risks of childhood asthma and respiratory illness.
 
That’s not safe. That’s why health groups like @AsthmaAustralia are encouraging households to move to electric. pic.twitter.com/BVXwH74fJD

— Lily D'Ambrosio MP (@LilyDAmbrosioMP) December 11, 2023