13 June 2019

Heat on Government to halt gas roll-out to new suburbs

| Ian Bushnell
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Extending gas network is at odds with ACT’s emissions ambitions.

It’s time for the Government to halt the roll-out of gas infrastructure to new suburbs as the ACT aims for zero emissions by 2045, according to the Conservation Council ACT Region.

The council says the Government, which recently announced help for Canberrans to switch from gas-ducted heating systems to energy efficient electric heating, needs to be consistent with its policies.

It says the move is welcome but completely at odds with Government laws that mandate gas infrastructure to all new homes in the ACT, except for the Ginninderry development where the gas requirement has been waived for the first 350 homes.

Executive Director Helen Oakey said the ACT was the only jurisdiction in Australia that mandated gas infrastructure for every house in its planning law.

“Given our ambitious zero emissions climate change target, this must stop,” she said. “The Government should in fact stop all new gas infrastructure being rolled out. We are throwing good money at a network that is likely to have a limited life, and the costs will be passed onto those who remain on the gas network.

“It has already been shown that when residents install new technologies like solar and heat pumps, they don’t want to connect their houses to the gas network.”

Ms Oakey said the burden of the infrastructure costs fell to those who did connect or who were still connected in older suburbs. Connecting new houses to the gas network also encouraged new home owners to invest in out-dated appliances that run on gas, which will cost them money when they switch to electric in the future.

“There are so many benefits to giving up gas – the financial incentive of not paying two connection charges, that you are no longer using fossil fuels to run your home, and having access to clean, safe technology like induction cooktops and heat pumps for hot water and heating and cooling (split systems),” she said.

“Many people think that their air-conditioners are for summer only, but using split systems for heating is very efficient. These technologies can be used to heat just one or two rooms, or your whole house.

“The ACT Government has a high level of ambition to reduce greenhouse emissions and respond to the climate emergency, and has put some great programs in place to support ACT residents to reduce their household emissions. In that context, continuing to invest our money in gas infrastructure is wasted.”

Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability Shane Rattenbury said last year when announcing the Ginninderry trial that moving away from gas was an important step in addressing climate change.

“As the ACT moves to 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2020, gas will become one of the major remaining contributors to greenhouse gas pollution, so we will need to find options to reduce gas use,” Mr Rattenbury said.

“Ginninderry residents will also save money, with energy modelling for the pilot finding that households will save over $14,000 when using all electrical appliances compared to gas (over the life of the appliances).”

The Government said in its statement at the time that the lessons of the trial could be applied to other developments in the ACT to bring advances in sustainability, more affordable living and greater customer choice.

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Capital Retro9:42 pm 17 Jun 19

“Ginninderry does have gas infrastructure – they just aren’t connecting the pipes to homes.”

That “infrastructure” is the unknown pockets of land fill methane trapped underground as a result of large areas of that development being on the site of one of Canberra’s old garbage tips.

Our last house had reverse cycle aircon and on the minus 5 mornings it took ages to pump any warm air out (if at all). Is that still the case or did we just have dodgy system (renting at the time). Ducted gas in current house is awesome no matter what temp is outside!

My mother has a reverse cycle air-conditioner and hers works okay.

Capital Retro9:45 pm 17 Jun 19

In those extreme (climate change?) conditions you need to run a 2400w electric bar heater concurrent with the heat pump system for a short time only until the return air is warmer.

When my house was built a few years ago, the architect wanted to include gas, but I said I wanted it all electric. So pleased I did. My solar panels generate more electricity than I use, even in winter. Having gas for only boosting the solar hot water for one or two months a year, and then needing to pay a basic connection fee, for something to be used for only a couple of months each year, didn’t make sense.

Agree with John Moulis. Fed up with hearing vested interests pushing their barrows.

You will have credibility only when you can guarantee a 100% electrified energy system will be 100% reliable 24/7/30/365.

You will never be able to do that so a fallback energy system will always be necessary to 1. Guarantee reliable supply and 2. Maintain competition to dissuade unreasonable price increases by a monopoly supplier.

Do you think the majority of consumers would fall for your proposal?

“The ACT Government has a high level of ambition to reduce greenhouse emissions and respond to the climate emergency, blah blah blah…”

Helen, the game is up. Using scary terms like “climate emergency” is all the more ludicrous after the Federal election. Trying to deny new home buyers basic energy needs so you can pursue some airy fairy, utopian dream of renewable energy is just straight-out irresponsible. Or do you and your fellow green travellers really want us all to live in caves like we always suspected?

Really, this has gone way beyond a joke and it is time to stop the nonsense once and for all. I’m sick of it, we’re all sick of it.

Rightly or wrongly, just like you John, Helen is allowed to have their opinion.

Your comment is quite disrepectful to be perfectly honest about it. There is disagreeing and then there is being just plain rude.

A Nonny Mouse9:23 pm 20 Jun 19

Would you like the government to encourage you to burn coal in a grate for heating? Seriously!? It is beyond any reasonable dispute that we need to reduce our fossil fuel burning. This will only happen with governments making that easier.

Queanbeyanite7:57 pm 24 Jun 19

What? aren’t you already taking cold showers John? There was a bloke in the paper who just has a dip in LBG. I bet Ms Oakey only has a cold bath every Sunday whether she needs one or not.

Back in 1945, my late father bought a chip heater for the family bath with his first ever paypacket. He reckoned the shared water with the other 11 in his family was much nicer warmed up, especially when he was the youngest boy and got in last.

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