The Master Plumbers Association of NSW (MPA NSW) has slammed the City of Sydney Council’s decision to ban natural gas appliances in all new homes and businesses from 2027, warning it will jeopardise public safety and drive illegal installations.

MPA NSW chief executive Nathaniel Smith says the move prioritises “ideology over common sense” and risks pushing people toward unsafe, unlicensed gasfitting and DIY setups.

“This ban will not stop people from wanting gas, it will simply drive them underground,” Nathaniel says.

“When councils remove safe, regulated options, they open the door to illegal LPG and butane systems that pose serious risks of fire, explosion and carbon monoxide poisoning, especially in high-density apartments.”

Nathaniel says natural gas has been a safe, reliable and affordable part of Australia’s energy mix for decades and removing it would make Sydney households dependent on a 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 says.

The Association has urged the NSW Government to step in and prevent local councils from overreaching into state and national energy policy.

“Energy reform should be led by State and Federal Governments, not local councils pursuing activist agendas,” Nathaniel says.

MPA NSW is calling for a balanced approach that prioritises safety, affordability and consumer choice.

“Sydney deserves energy policies based on safety and evidence, not ideology,” Nathaniel says.

“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.”