A motion, moved by Cr (Waskam) Emelda Davis and seconded by Deputy Lord Mayor Sylvie Ellsmore, has been passed by the City of Sydney requiring new homes and businesses to be all-electric and gas-free.

In response to climate activist group and registered charity organisation 350 Australia’s ‘Electrify Your Council’ campaign, this gas ban will extend to apartments, requiring owners and tenants to install electric stoves, cooktops, heaters and hot water units.

New research conducted by Strategy Policy Research indicate that a gas ban could save every new Sydney household an average of $430 on their annual energy bill.

This means that over 40 years, a typical household could save more than $5,500 and, once multiplied by the total number of Sydney homes, the whole state would spend $3.7 billion less on energy.

According to results from the analysis, NSW as a whole could avoid 24.1 million tonnes of carbon emissions over a 40 year period if they were to follow in Sydney’s footsteps.

350 Australia CEO Lucy Manne said: “Gas is a potent, fossil fuel that is accelerating the intersecting human and ecological crises caused by a heating planet. We need to end the age of fossil fuels now and we can start by eliminating toxic methane gas from our homes, shops and businesses.

“Only developers and gas corporations benefit from keeping our homes and businesses connected to gas,” said Manne.

The ban would also be very beneficial for the environment as it could reduce a total of 1.7 million tonnes of carbon emissions over that same period.

NSW Campaigner for Healthy Futures Bronwyn McDonald claimed that a child living with a gas stove faced similar asthma risk to a child exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke.

“To protect vulnerable people like children, the elderly and people with medical conditions, health professionals call on the state government to urgently phase out gas from buildings like homes, schools and hospitals,” said McDonald.

The Strategy Policy Research study was commissioned by 350 Australia.