Friday 28 July 2023
MEDIA RELEASE
Property Council welcomes push to electrify Victorian homes
The Property Council of Australia today welcomed the announcement from Victorian Minister for Climate Action Lily D’Ambrosio to ban gas connections for new developments from next year that don’t already have planning approval.
Property Council National Policy Director Frankie Muskovic said the shift to all-electric new homes would reduce energy costs for Victorian households at a time when cost of living pressures remain at historic highs.
“We know that all-electric homes with efficient appliances combined with solar on the roof are much cheaper to run than homes with gas,” Ms Muskovic said.
“The incentives announced today support upskilling of key trades to deliver all-electric homes, as well as rebates for solar panels, batteries and heat pumps for hot water and heating, which will be game-changers for Victorian households.
“Electrification is the fastest, cheapest way to decarbonise the way we heat our buildings, and the ban on new gas connections provides industry with the certainty it needs to deliver zero-carbon-ready buildings that can contribute to Victoria’s ambitious emissions reduction targets.
“Every new building built with gas will need to be retrofitted in the future, so we welcome this move from the Victorian Government to avoid investment in new gas network infrastructure and focus on reducing energy bills, and providing cleaner, healthier homes for Victorians,” she said.
Earlier this year, the Property Council and Green Building Council of Australia launched the Every Building Counts report, a policy plan for zero-carbon-ready and resilient buildings.
The report laid out 39 comprehensive recommendations including requiring new buildings to be delivered all-electric. It also recommended the phasing out of fossil fuels in existing buildings and appliances, skilling up the workforce and incentives to support a fair transition for low-income and vulnerable households.
ENDS
Media contact: Rhys Prka | 0425 113 273 | [email protected]