Victoria to ban gas connections in new homes from 2024
The days of the trusty gas cooker in the kitchen may be numbered in Victoria with the state government banning all new homes from connecting up to the fuel. Its a the first step of a broader state government plan to ease households and business reliance.
Transcript
00:00 Switching off the gas and trying to convince Victorians to cook with electricity.
00:07 And that sizzle is obviously a nice indicator of how hot it is.
00:13 From next year, new homes and residential subdivisions, as well as new government buildings, will be banned from using gas.
00:19 It's being pitched as a saving for households.
00:22 This announcement will deliver real cost of living relief for Victorians.
00:26 Gas for so many years has been our friend. It's been plentiful and cheap.
00:31 It's no longer plentiful, it's no longer cheap and it's also a fossil fuel.
00:35 We have to go in this direction and this is the right step forward.
00:38 Victoria uses the most gas of any state, with more than 2 million homes and businesses connected.
00:43 Gas accounts for 17% of the state's greenhouse gas emissions.
00:47 The government is hoping to wean Victorians off gas as it aims towards net zero emissions by 2045.
00:53 The reality is this is a journey. It will take time.
00:56 The next step is going to be creating the right environment for people to move off gas when their old gas appliance gives up.
01:04 Consumer groups, environmentalists and the health sector have hailed the policy as a win for the climate and household budgets.
01:11 Is all electric cheaper than gas? Look, in the long run, yes it should be. Up front there may be some higher expenses.
01:18 Government now needs to step up and assist households to shift to the energy source of the future.
01:23 But there are warnings it could place greater pressure on the grid as more homes rely on electricity.
01:28 I expect there's going to be impacts across our industry of 3-4 thousand jobs being removed.
01:33 If it looks like rushed policy, if it looks like it's not thought through, chances are it probably is.
01:37 For Victorians that already have gas, the government wants you to turn off and they want you to do it for good.
01:43 It's offering rebates to do so. It also wants you to switch off from its problems over the Commonwealth Games
01:48 and an IBAC report that lifted the lid on a cash for access culture.
01:52 In response to the corruption report, the government will claw back planning powers from council.
01:57 But that is being resisted by some councils who say it's undemocratic.
02:01 The IBAC report clearly identified some pretty bad behaviour at a local council level.
02:08 The government is using IBAC to help move the focus to fixing the housing sector.
02:12 sector.
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