Plumbers across New South Wales have slammed a decision by Sydney Council to ban new gas appliances in homes and large commercial buildings from 2027, claiming that the move is reckless and may undermine public safety.

The Master Plumbers Association of NSW (MPA NSW) says that the decision represents ‘ideology over common sense’.

In a statement, MPA NSW CEO Nathaniel Smith said that the move will push ordinary people into unsafe, unlicensed gasfitting and do-it-yourself installations.

“This ban will not stop people from wanting gas, it will simply drive them underground,” Smith said.

“When councils remove safe, regulated options, they open the door to illegal LPG and butane setups that pose a massive risk of fire, explosion and carbon monoxide poisoning.

“The results could be fatal, especially in high-density unit blocks.”

The comments follow a decision by the City of Sydney Council on October 28 to approve new planning rules.

The new rules build on existing measures which are designed to move toward the electrification of buildings across the city’s municipal boundaries.

Earlier this year, the Council adopted new provisions that restricted indoor gas appliances such as cooktops and heaters in new residential developments.

However, the new rules go further.

Under the new rules, from 1 January 2027:

• The existing ban on indoor gas appliances in housing and residential buildings will be expanded to cover outdoor gas appliances such as water heaters.
• The all-electric requirement will be extended to cover new large and medium sized commercial buildings, hotels and serviced apartments.

As mentioned above, the new rules in respect of commercial buildings will cover large and medium-sized buildings.

This includes office buildings of more than 1,000 square meters, hotels with more than 100 guest rooms and buildings with more than 100 serviced apartments.

The new rules will not apply to new industrial buildings or to any existing buildings.

Where a mixed-use development is affected by the planning controls, any food and beverage premises within the development will still be able to use gas, provided there is adequate space and electrical capacity for future electrification.

Council defends ban

Announcing its decision, the Council said that the move toward all-electric buildings will have benefits in terms of cost, environmental performance and public health.

In terms of cost, it claims that gas prices are set to continue to increase on account of market issues and supply risks.

In that environment, moving to all-electric developments would save average households around $626 per year compared with gas-connected homes.

It says that electric systems are more efficient and have a singular connection with a daily rate.

Meanwhile, the Council argues that use of electric induction cooktops instead of gas offers significant health benefits.

This because gas stoves can release pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and fine particularly matter.

These emissions have been linked to the development and exacerbation of asthma and other respiratory conditions, particularly in children.

A Climate Council report released in 2021 found that gas cooktops could be responsible for up to 12 percent of asthma cases in children.

All of this is in addition to the carbon savings which are expected from building electrification.

Generally speaking, electrification has emerged as the preferred pathway in respect of the decarbonisation of Australian buildings as the electricity network is decarbonising faster than the gas network.

In a statement, Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore AO said going all-electric was a logical response to the challenges posed by fossil fuels.

Moore said that most of the 84 submissions that were received on the proposals were supportive of the changes.

These included submissions from the Property Council, Ausgrid, Energy Consumers Australia and the Global Cooksafe Coalition.

“Relying on gas is bad for the planet, bad for our finances and bad for our health.” Moore said.

“Creating more energy efficient, healthier buildings which will meet future energy standards and avoid expensive retrofitting is an obvious next step.

“It is why the move has been met with broad approval from a diverse variety of stakeholders.

“The reality is gas is an expensive commodity that is forecast to go up in price.

“These measures will spare households from being locked into increasingly expensive and outdated gas contracts.”

MPA disagrees

However, Smith disagrees.

He says that natural gas has been a safe, reliable and affordable part of Australia’s energy mix for decades.

Banning this will make Sydney households entirely dependent on an already fragile electricity grid, he says.

In its statement, MPA NSW has urged the NSW Government to intervene.

It calls for a balanced and practical approach which avoids political point-scoring and instead prioritises safety, affordability and consumer choice.

“By forcing every new home and business onto electricity alone, the City of Sydney is creating an energy security crisis,” Smith said.

“When the next blackout hits, people won’t have hot water, heating or a safe way to cook.”

“Energy reform should be led by the State and Federal Governments, not by local councils pursuing activist agendas.

“This policy ignores the advice of licensed gas professionals and disregards the needs of multicultural communities who rely on gas for traditional cooking.

“Sydney deserves energy policies based on safety and evidence, not ideology.

“If this ban proceeds, it will spark an underground industry of dangerous DIY gasfitting, and it won’t be the Council who pays the price; it will be the residents.”

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