350 Australia’s Electrify Your Council campaign works with local councils in New South Wales to create all-electric, gas-free new buildings.

Councils in NSW have the power to ensure that new buildings, like homes, shops, and local businesses, are built all-electric without gas connections. And the exciting thing is that councils don’t need to wait for the state government to take action – councils can change their planning rules on their own! It’s an opportunity for us to cut climate pollution, reduce household energy bills, and improve community health outcomes.

The case for electrification

All-electric, gas-free homes and businesses are: 

  • Good for the climate, as less energy is needed to heat and cool electric, efficient homes and businesses, reducing our reliance on polluting gas. 
  • Good for our health, as electric appliances like stoves, heaters and cooktops don’t produce the harmful toxins and pollution that gas ones do
  • Cheaper to run, meaning lower energy bills, especially for renters and people on low incomes 

What we’re asking for

We’re calling on councils across NSW to pass new laws that would require all new homes and businesses to be all-electric with no gas. Councils can do this by changing their planning laws at the council level without needing state government approval. 

How your council can require all-electric new buildings

Background

  1. Rising gas prices are impacting on families and households already struggling with spiralling housing and food costs. A recent Energy Consumers Australia survey of 2,500 people found that more than one quarter of households are struggling to pay their energy bills.
  2. Gas is also highly toxic to human health. Decades of scientific medical research demonstrates the alarming health impacts that gas pollution causes when used indoors.
  3. Yet the NSW planning system still allows this harmful and costly source of pollution to be connected to our homes and businesses via antiquated planning rules, meaning millions of people in NSW are being subjected to the health harms caused by indoor gas use.

The opportunity for councils

  1. NSW councils have the power to create planning regulations via Development Control Plans (DCPs) which require new developments (homes and businesses) to be all-electric with no gas. Councils don’t need to wait for the state government to take action – councils can change their planning rules on their own.
  2. There is a major opportunity for councils to create DCPs that require new homes and businesses to be all-electric without gas.

Councils taking leadership

  1. On 21 September 2023, Lave Cove passed new planning rules which prohibit the installation of gas appliances in all new development (residential and commercial). This is the first NSW council to fully implement all-electric requirements for all new developments across a whole council area. This is the most comprehensive approach and is the model that all councils should follow.
  2. On 7 December 2022, Waverley Council passed new, council-wide planning rules that prevent the installation of indoor gas appliances (gas cooktops, ovens and space heaters) to all new homes. Because the council employed health reasons for their indoor gas appliance ban, the council excluded gas hot waters from the new rules.
  3. On 2 December 2022, Parramatta Council passed planning rules which prevent the installation of gas appliances in all new buildings in the Parramatta City Centre. This was the first council in NSW to pass all-electric planning rules that apply to both new homes and businesses.
  4. Several other councils have now passed similar motions exploring new planning rules to require all-electric, gas-free new homes and businesses – check out our Councils Tracker page to see if you’re council has joined the movement.

Legal advice

  1. Legal advice obtained by 350 Australia from the Environmental Defenders Office suggests that council-led planning rules that require all-electric new developments are consistent with relevant state planning policies as long as those rules are based on the health and economic benefits that all-electric buildings produce for tenants. Check out the legal advice here.

Next steps

  1. 350 encourages all NSW councils to pass motions to change their planning rules to require all new developments in their municipalities be all-electric with no gas, based on the ideal Lane Cove City Council model.

Want more detail? Find everything you need to know in our Frequently Asked Questions page or check out our Resources page.

Our mission is inform and educate people about climate change, its impact on the natural environment, and the need to reduce fossil fuel emissions and adopt renewable energy solutions. Together we can build a cleaner, fairer future.