Tuesday, 22 March 2022

Energy policy

Ms SANDELL (Melbourne) (14:24): My question is for the Minister for Planning. As the minister would know, burning gas is a major cause of the climate crisis. It is also getting very expensive, and recent research shows just how bad it is for our respiratory health to burn gas in our homes as well. The government has a program to help low-income households replace old, dangerous gas heaters, which is very welcome, but at the same time our state’s planning laws still actually require that all new homes are hooked up to gas. New housing developments that could be all electric, all renewable, are being forced to install gas even if they do not want to. Will the minister change Victoria’s planning rules to stop new homes being forced to connect to gas?

Mr WYNNE (Richmond—Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing) (14:25): I thank the member for Melbourne for her question. There would be many parts of Victoria where there is no—

A member interjected.

Mr WYNNE: The member for Malvern advises me there is no reticulated gas in his part of the world. I think there is—

Mr Andrews: The question’s just not right.

Mr WYNNE: Well, clearly. My colleague the member for Gippsland East advises me that there is no reticulated gas in his part of the world—

Members interjecting.

Mr WYNNE: What do you do with this, Michael? I do not know. I mean, it is an extraordinary question to ask, but I guess the answer—

Mr Riordan: It’s a very Melbourne question.

Mr WYNNE: Yes, it is a very inner-city question actually, but that is fine. I am very happy to represent the inner city, as I do—

Mr Andrews: And she asked you the inner-city question—who would’ve thought?

Mr WYNNE: Who would have thought, indeed. Can I say to the member for Melbourne, as she would know, we are building close to 15 000 units of public and social housing, and in that context we are ensuring that in all of those new builds we are in fact not using gas. We are not using gas in those buildings where in fact reticulated gas is available. Indeed in terms of heating and cooling, we are using the recycling air conditioners, which of course are much more efficient because of the burden that is placed upon low-income earners. We have to ensure that we maintain the option for poorer people to have their utility bills paid in a less burdensome way by ensuring that we have got heating and cooling through the air-conditioning system. But more generally, it is important that the government does show leadership in this space, and in fact we are through the massive Big Housing Build. We will continue to show that level of leadership—

Mr Andrews interjected.

Mr WYNNE: and indeed as the Premier has indicated, through diversification and the magnificent announcement that the Premier made with the minister for the environment about offshore wind, which is going to be an absolutely magnificent addition to the targets that we are seeking in terms of our renewable energy.

Ms SANDELL (Melbourne) (14:27): I am not sure if the minister needs reminding, but it is clause 25.09-2 in Victoria’s planning rules that says that new housing developments, where reticulated gas is available, must be connected to gas. Gas is mandated in these homes. In fact it is not the inner city that this is affecting; it is actually the urban fringe where a lot of housing development is happening, where it is affecting people’s cost of living and health the most. Right now while we wait for the gas substitution plan, all of these new homes that are being built are being forced to connect to gas, but with the stroke of a pen the minister could stop this right now. It could happen overnight, and then we could prevent the problem of having to then transition these homes away from gas in the future. Minister, why not just do this tomorrow?

Mr WYNNE (Richmond—Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing) (14:28): Can I thank the member for Melbourne for her policy analysis on planning 101. Can I just say to the member for Melbourne: it is very pleasing to see that you have got out to the urban fringe—

Mr Andrews: I don’t know about that.

Mr WYNNE: Well, possibly. I mean, generally speaking I do not think you cross more than a river for most of your time up there on a Kensington hill looking down on the rest of us. But the reality of this is that where there is reticulated gas, it is a matter for those people who are developing on the urban fringe, and many developers of course have taken up the option not to include gas—

Mr Andrews interjected.

Mr WYNNE: Yes, free PT was probably a better one. But it is an option for developers— (Time expired)