North Sydney goes electric, with gas banned in new homes

Developers submitting housing plans to North Sydney Council from July 1 will have to ensure there are no gas connections within the project, following a vote on Monday.

❓What happened: In an attempt to rid the area of gas for “environmental, health and economic reasons”, North Sydney councillors voted in August last year to seek the public’s view on tweaking the building code to ban gas in new homes.

• The consultation period ran from October 16 to November 14, and the people have spoken. Well, 11 of them, in an LGA of some 70,000 people. 

• Three members of the public supported the proposal, citing cost savings, health benefits and reductions in emissions. Six opposed the ban, expressing concerns about personal liberties, power overloads and whether residents would start burning wood in their homes.

🗣️Who said what: Submissions were also made by the likes of the Property Council of Australia, energy operators Ausgrid and Jemena, non-profit climate organisation 350 and Urban Taskforce, an industry group representing property developers. Of these, only Urban Taskforce opposed the decision.

🌏Where else? Similar decisions to stop gas in new builds have been made by the City of Sydney, Victoria and the ACT. These new build restrictions aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector while reducing household energy bills.

🗳️The votes are in: On Monday, councillors voted to endorse the gas amendment by 8 to 2, meaning any new residential development will need to demonstrate that all daily and operational energy needs are met by electricity. 

• The policy will apply from July 1 and will not affect industrial or commercial buildings.

📪Consultation: Regarding the poor response rate from a community of about 70,000 people, North Sydney Council said it had chosen not to notify residents by letter, as “the proposed amendments affect the entire LGA, not specific properties”.

• A notice was published in the Mosman Daily on October 16, 2025 advising of the public exhibition. 

However, the council “directly notified” the “development industry, utility providers, all precinct committees and other “relevant stakeholders”. 

It placed “formal notices” on its website and at Stanton Library and the council chambers.