The Victorian Labor Government’s ban on gas connections for new homes in the state from next year is an egregious overreach on energy policy, Member for Mallee Anne Webster says.

The ban will mean new homes and residential subdivisions will be powered entirely by electricity, with electric or induction cooktops to be installed instead of gas ones.

“The Andrews Labor Government that locked down the whole state and set international records for Melbourne’s lockdowns, has taken another freedom away from the people, their freedom of energy choice,” Dr Webster said.

“This is another example of the ever-growing intrusion into the day to day lives of Victorians. The parliamentary committee that recommended this move also urged the Government to ban the sale of new petrol, diesel or gas-fuelled vehicles. Is the government coming for the Hilux, Ranger or RAV-4 next?

“Hell bent on meeting ‘net zero’ by 2045, Daniel Andrews and his Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio have put the foot down and told people it is their way or the highway. Their dogma that renewables are ‘cheaper’ is costing Victorians on their power bills.”

Dr Webster said this ban was “straight out of the Greens playbook”, despite gas being an important part of Australia’s energy mix during the transition to renewables.

“At a Federal Level Labor have imposed caps on wholesale gas price, now at State level they want it gone altogether,” Dr Webster said.

“Victoria’s energy grid is not ready for such a quick transition to all electricity, and this is arbitrary policy to head off the Greens in Labor’s inner-city electorates, nothing more.”