The Master Plumbers Association of NSW (MPA NSW) has strongly condemned the City of Sydney Council’s decision to ban natural gas appliances in all new homes and businesses from 2027, calling it a reckless move that endangers lives and undermines public safety.
MPA NSW CEO Nathaniel Smith said the decision represents ideology over common sense, warning it will push ordinary people into unsafe, unlicensed gasfitting and do-it-yourself installations.
“This ban will not stop people from wanting gas, it will simply drive them underground,” Mr Smith said. “When councils remove safe, regulated options, they open the door to illegal LPG and butane setups that pose a massive risk of fire, explosion and carbon monoxide poisoning. The results could be fatal, especially in high-density unit blocks.”
Mr Smith said natural gas has been a safe, reliable and affordable part of Australia’s energy mix for decades, and that banning it will make Sydney households entirely dependent on an already fragile electricity grid.
“By forcing every new home and business onto electricity alone, the City of Sydney is creating an energy security crisis. When the next blackout hits, people won’t have hot water, heating or a safe way to cook,” he said.
MPA NSW is urging the NSW Government to intervene immediately and prevent local councils from overreaching into national energy policy. “Energy reform should be led by the State and Federal Governments, not by local councils pursuing activist agendas,” Mr Smith said.
The Association is calling for a balanced and practical approach that prioritises safety, affordability and consumer choice. “Sydney deserves energy policies based on safety and evidence, not ideology,” Mr Smith said. “If this ban proceeds, it will spark an underground industry of dangerous DIY gasfitting, and it won’t be the Council who pays the price, it will be the residents.”
