Did You Know That Gas Appliances Are Banned in New Developments or Renovations in the Lane Cove Council Area?

    By
    Jacky Barker
    -

    Effective 1 October 2023, gas appliances are prohibited in new developments or renovations in the Lane Cove Council Local Government Area.

    Despite the ban being in place for over 18 months, In the Cove still receives queries from locals asking us to confirm the ban is in place.

    Lane Cove Council is not the only council to ban gas appliances.

    At least nine local councils have banned gas appliances:

    • City of Sydney
    • Inner West Council
    • Lane Cove Council
    • Waverley Council
    • Parramatta Council
    • Canterbury Bankstown Council
    • Canada Bay Council
    • Ryde City Council
    • Newcastle Council

    How Has Lane Cove Council Banned Gas Appliances?

    Lane Cove Council has used their planning powers, particularly its Development Control Plan, to stop new builds from connecting to the gas network.

     

     

    Why Has Lane Cove Council Banned Gas?

    Health Reasons

    Whilst it might be second nature, more and more research is emerging suggesting the adverse effects of using gas in the home.

    Studies have been conducted highlighting the pollution emitted by stove gas stops.

    A Melbourne University study involved Stanford University and PSE Health Energy researchers measuring the emissions from a gas cooktop in a rental in Camberwell, Melbourne.

    This study was built off the previous tests they had conducted in Europe and the US, where they found alarming amounts of health-damaging pollutants from gas stovetops, such as respiratory aggravation gasses like nitrogen dioxide.

    The research found that after 30 minutes of burning gas on a stovetop, the nitrogen dioxide levels rose from 11ppb (parts per billion) to 530ppb, with the Australian standard being 99ppb averaging over one hour. Not only that, but they discovered that more than 75% of methane emissions from a stovetop occurred when they were switched off. Read more details about the Australian study here.

    Other studies have concluded the same issues linked to gas. According to a 2018 study in the Medical Journal of Australia, cooking with gas in Australia increases the load of asthma by approximately 12 per cent. This is the equivalent of the effects of having a cigarette smoker in the household.

    Cost of Living Reasons

    Esther Suckling, Research Associate, Grattan Institute, wrote an article for The Conversation where she noted:

    “If every Australian household that uses gas went all-electric today, we would “save” more than 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions over the next ten years. That’s because there are more than 5 million households on the gas network, and the avoided emissions per home ranges from 5-25 tonnes over the coming decade, depending on the location.

    Most people would spend less money on energy, too. Electric appliances use less energy than gas appliances to do the same job, making them cheaper to run.

    Our new report shows how much most households can save by switching from gas to electricity for heating, hot water and cooking. The extra cash couldn’t come at a better time: about a quarter of Australian households say they found it difficult to pay their energy bills this year.

    But many households face hurdles that stop them or make it hard for them to go all-electric. Governments could make it easier for people and bring emissions-reduction targets closer to reality.”

    Read the full article here.

    Advocacy Groups Want Every Local Council to Ban Gas

    Advocacy groups like 350.org continue campaigning for more local councils to ban gas appliances across NSW.