- At its council meeting on Tuesday 26 September, Blue Mountains City Council passed a motion which kickstarts the process to require new homes and businesses across the city to be all-electric and gas-free. This comes after City of Canada Bay unanimously passed a similar motion on 19 September.
- The moves have been welcomed by health professionals and climate change organisations, which come in the wake of City of Sydney’s recent decision to explore options to achieve all-electric, new homes and businesses.
- New analysis shows the move by Canada Bay and Blue Mountains Councils could reduce greenhouse gas emissions substantially, saving new households an average of $432 per year on their energy bills.
- Canada Bay and Blue Mountains Councils now join Sydney, Waverley and Parramatta Councils, plus the Victorian and ACT governments, who have all recently passed laws which ban gas from new developments. The NSW premier has so far ruled out similar action for the state.
On Tuesday 26 September, Blue Mountains City Council passed a motion which kickstarts the process to require new homes and businesses across the city to be all-electric and gas-free. This motion came after the City of Canada Bay passed a very similar motion to kickstart the same process on Tuesday 19 September.
The Blue Mountains City Council motion was moved by the Deputy Mayor, Cr Sarah Redshaw (Greens), was seconded by Cr Brent Hoare (Greens), and supported by the six Labor councillors.
The City of Canada Bay’s motion was moved by Cr Charles Jago, and seconded by Deputy Mayor Joseph Cordaro.
The successful motions at both councils will explore new planning laws to require new homes and businesses, including apartments, to include electric appliances like stoves, cooktops, heaters and hot water units, instead of gas ones.
According to new research conducted by Strategy Policy Research and commissioned by 350 Australia, the move could save every new household that’s built in City of Canada Bay and Blue Mountains City Council an average of $432 per year on their energy bills. This equates to more than $5,500 in today’s dollars over a typical 40-year life of a dwelling, totalling $44.9 million for all new homes across City of Canada Bay over the same period and $16.6 million across the Blue Mountains LGA.
At a state level, the savings are $9.3 billion for all new homes over the same period if all NSW councils required new homes to be all-electric with no gas.
If all new commercial buildings were required to be all-electric and gas-free within City of Canada Bay, the savings would be $4.7 million for local businesses over the same 40 year period and $4.6 million for Blue Mountains. At the state level, these savings would be $3.3 billion if all NSW councils required all new businesses to be all-electric without gas.
This move is also a win for the environment, with analysis showing it could save 344,343 tonnes of carbon emissions within Canada Bay LGA compared with business as usual over 40 years, and 153,360 tonnes for Blue Mountains City Council. If every NSW council followed City of Canada Bay and Blue Mountains City Council’s lead, together they could avoid 40 million tonnes of carbon emissions over the same 40 year period.
The motion was in response to grassroots climate organisation 350 Australia’s ‘Electrify Your Council’ campaign, and comes after Premier Chris Minns said he wouldn’t follow Victoria’s and the ACT’s lead in banning gas connections to new homes.
City of Canada Bay and Blue Mountains City Council’s motions follow Sydney, Waverley and Parramatta Councils who recently passed new planning rules that prevent or limit gas appliances in new homes and businesses.
The move from City of Canada Bay and Blue Mountains City Council are the latest in a wave of momentum sweeping across the state. Tired of waiting for the state government to act by delivering all-electric new developments that are free from toxic, polluting gas, these councils are taking the issue into their own hands and leading the way.
According to 350 Australia, councils across NSW are likely to follow these leading councils in taking action, adding political pressure on the Minns government for a state-wide requirement for all-electric and gas-free new buildings.
Lucy Manne, CEO at 350 Australia said, “Gas is a potent, fossil fuel that is accelerating the devastating impacts of the climate crisis like bushfires, extreme heat, floods and sea level rise. We need to end the age of fossil fuels now and we can start by eliminating toxic methane gas from our homes, shops and businesses.
“Only developers and gas corporations benefit from keeping our homes and businesses connected to gas.
We congratulate the City of Canada Bay and Blue Mountains City Council for taking bold climate leadership and taking action where the state government is falling behind.”
Dr Ben Ewald, Senior Lecturer in Epidemiology and member of health advocacy organisation, Doctors for the Environment said, “The flames of a gas stove or heater release toxic chemicals that cause asthma in susceptible people. Everyone with a gas stove should open a window or turn on an extractor fan every time they light it. Not connecting to gas in the first place is a better option, as all uses of indoor gas now have a better electric alternative.”
“To protect vulnerable people like children, the elderly and people with medical conditions, health professionals call on the state government to urgently phase out gas from buildings like homes, schools and hospitals.”
ENDS
The analysis of cost and emission savings by Strategy Policy Research is available here: https://350.org.au/files/2023/09/Analysis_-Blue-Mountains-City-Council-all-electric-new-homes-and-businesses.pdf
Media contact:
Lucy Manne, 350 Australia, 0417 387 516 | lucy@350.org.au
Available for interview:
Lucy Manne, 350 Australia, 0417 387 516 | lucy@350.org.au
Ben Ewald, Doctors for the Environment, 0422 378 042 | bene2@spin.net.au
Philip Harrington, Strategy Policy Research, 0419 106 449 | philip_harrington@strategypolicyresearch.com.au