New homes, shops, tourist accommodation and commercial developments in Byron Shire could soon be expected to ditch gas in favour of electricity under sweeping changes to the Shire’s planning rules.
But following a mixed response from industry and the community, Council has significantly softened its original proposal, shifting from what amounted to an all-electric requirement to making electricity the ‘preferred outcome’ for new development.
Councillors will consider adopting the revised Development Control Plan (DCP) provisions at Thursday’s meeting. The changes would apply across residential, rural residential, tourist accommodation, commercial and retail development, but would not affect existing buildings.
Under the revised rules, new developments should be designed to operate primarily on electricity, with gas use minimised. Applicants wanting gas would need to justify it on operational, technical or emergency-resilience grounds. Outdoor barbecues, some pool and spa heating and specialised industrial processes could also be exempt.
The original proposal was much firmer, stating that developments ‘must’ contain no gas infrastructure and that fixed cooking, heating and hot-water appliances ‘must be electric’. Those provisions have now largely become ‘should’ requirements.
The retreat follows three rounds of consultation.
The first attracted 13 submissions, 11 supporting the proposal and one opposing it. But targeted consultation with industry produced a more divided result, with seven submissions in support and ten opposed.
Supporters pointed to climate, health and household savings.
One local resident told Council their home had been fully electric since 2014 and said the transition had been ‘quick, easy and inexpensive’.
‘My entire energy is literally zero,’ the resident wrote, adding that they had actually earned $700 through their electricity provider’s virtual power plant program last year.
But opponents raised concerns about consumer choice and what happens when the lights go out.
One submission argued that all-electric homes could be particularly vulnerable during floods, storms and other disasters where outages lasted for extended periods.
‘Gas systems provide an additional layer of resilience in case of power failure,’ the submission said, describing the original policy as a ‘one-size-fits-all solution’.
Council staff appear to have taken that concern on board. Their revised provisions specifically allow gas where it can be justified for emergency resilience or disaster preparedness.
The push began last year when councillors asked staff to investigate all-electric requirements based on a similar policy adopted by Lane Cove Council.
Staff are now recommending the amended rules be adopted, arguing they still push new development towards electricity while giving applicants room to make a case for gas where circumstances warrant it.
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