gas stove
Gas will be banned in Sydney under new planning rules following similar bans in Victoria and the ACT as part of efforts to combat climate change.

The City of Sydney formally endorsed a ban on gas connections at a meeting on Monday, with all new homes and businesses required to be electric only.

Council claims the ban will reduce emissions and improve affordability, but critics say it will increase the risk of blackouts, delay the building sector and make household bills more expensive.

The ban extends a previous prohibition on gas in kitchens as part of new house builds. It will now include outdoor gas appliances and will affect apartments and medium to large commercial buildings, hotels and serviced units.

Industrial buildings and existing properties are exempt. Mixed-use developments can install gas kitchens only if they can be converted to electric at a later date.

Ironically, millions of Australians will be banned from using gas while the country's mining sector exports record amounts of it that is then burned in foreign countries - all while raking in huge profits and, according to the tax office, dodging paying tax.

The changes in Sydney will take effect on January 1, 2027. Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the decision would help residents save money and cited research that linked gas stoves to 12 per cent of childhood asthma cases in Australia.

'Relying on gas is bad for the planet, bad for our finances and bad for our health,' she claimed. 'More energy efficient buildings which meet future energy standards and avoid expensive retrofitting is an obvious next step.'

The City of Sydney has previously garnered criticism over its focus on social causes rather than providing services for ratepayers.

In 2021 council spent part of its budget erecting dozens of rather obvious, 'racism not welcome' street signs. While hundreds of parking spots throughout the city were replaced with what's been described as a 'disjointed' and 'rushed' bike lane network.

Ms Moore said the ban on gas makes financial sense, as the fossil fuel is expected to increase in price and would likely drive up energy bills.

But some groups say the policy will drive up building and power costs, make projects less viable and affect housing affordability.

Industry body Urban Taskforce challenged the idea electrification would bring down carbon emissions and said energy should remain a matter of consumer choice.

'Urban Taskforce Australia is concerned about the ramification these apparently small changes to the DCP will have on project feasibility, apartment affordability, supply-chain risks, and other unintended consequences,' it submitted.

'The application of energy requirements or constraints must be measured against the implications for project feasibility, housing supply, market demand and economic resilience.'

Several groups questioned whether the electricity grid could reliably handle the extra demand without blackouts and outages. While gas network operator Jemena, warned it could undermine other renewable gas technologies like hydrogen and biomethane.

The Master Plumbers Association of NSW objected to the ban on gas appliances in new homes earlier this year, stating its concerns were 'mostly ignored'.

'This is ideology over common sense,' chief executive Nathaniel Smith said.

'The City of Sydney is pushing forward with a policy that disregards expert input, public safety, and energy security in one sweeping motion.'

It said the removal of gas appliances will reduce energy resilience across the city by deepening reliance on single power source for heating and cooking.

'Banning natural gas appliances won't stop people from wanting them,' Mr Smith added.

'It will push more households into illegal, DIY LPG setups that pose extreme fire, health, and safety risks.'

Despite the backlash, the council will forge ahead with the plans as part of its broader target to reach net zero emissions by 2035.

Similar bans are already in place in Victoria, where new gas connections were outlawed in 2024 for all new homes and government buildings.

The ACT introduced similar measures in 2023, requiring new developments to be fully electric to meet its zero-emissions target.

Several local councils in Sydney have also introduced similar controls, including Waverley and Parramatta, signalling a shift away from gas in urban areas.