Breaking News: Sydney Pioneers a Greener Future with Historic Gas Ban

Earlier this year, the council took a significant step by placing restrictions on indoor gas appliances such as stoves and heaters in newly constructed homes. Now, the scope of these regulations is expanding.

Effective January 1, 2027, the updated regulations will extend these limitations to include outdoor gas appliances. This broader mandate will not only cover residences, like houses and apartments, but also encompass medium to large commercial buildings, hotels, and serviced apartments.

While industrial and existing buildings will remain exempt from this new directive, there is a provision for kitchens in mixed-use developments. These kitchens will be permitted to use gas, provided they are equipped to switch to full electrification in the future.

Sydney’s Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, emphasized the dual benefits of these reforms, highlighting improvements in public health and cost savings. She noted that gas stoves have been linked to 12 percent of childhood asthma cases in Australia, underscoring the health implications.

“Relying on gas is detrimental to the environment, harmful to our finances, and adverse to our health,” Moore stated, advocating for the shift towards electrification as a positive change for the community.

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

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“These measures will spare households from being locked into increasingly expensive and outdated gas contracts.”

The council received dozens of submissions about the reforms, which it said were mostly supportive.

“The move has been met with broad approval from a diverse variety of stakeholders,” Moore said.

“Industry bodies from Ausgrid to the Property Council have endorsed the move, reflecting a broad community consensus on the need to end our reliance on gas.”

The ban is far from the first of its kind in Australia – Victoria and the ACT outlawed gas connections in new homes in 2024, while fellow councils in Sydney, including Waverley and Parramatta, have also made similar moves.