Petition Affordable and reliable energy for households and industry

The petition of certain citizens of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Council to the need to protect affordable and reliable energy for Victorian households and businesses. Victoria continues to rely heavily on natural gas for home heating, manufacturing, industry and electricity reliability. At the same time, new gas exploration and development continues in areas such as the Gippsland and Otway Basins. Many Victorians are concerned that while new gas resources are still being explored and Australia continues to export large quantities of gas overseas, local households are increasingly losing access to affordable gas connections and facing rising energy costs. We believe energy policy must balance environmental goals with affordability, reliability and consumer choice. Victorians deserve balanced energy policies that support both sustainability and the cost-of-living needs of everyday families and businesses.

The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the Government to reserve a fair portion of Victorian gas supply for domestic Victorian households and industry, prioritise affordable local energy supply before export commitments, review restrictions on gas connections for new homes until long-term electricity affordability and grid reliability are independently assessed, protect families, renters, pensioners and small businesses from rising energy costs, and ensure Victorians retain practical and reliable energy choices during the transition to lower emissions.