This is massive news for all new homes requiring a planning permit, including new public and social housing delivered by Homes Victoria. From 1 January 2024, planning permits for new homes and residential subdivisions will only connect to all electric networks.
Other key points:
• Commencing immediately, all new public buildings that haven’t reached design stage will also be all-electric. This includes new schools, hospitals, police stations and other government-owned buildings.
• These moves build on the 2022 reform that removed the requirements for gas connections for new homes. Since then, many builders and developers have already begun delivering energy-bill saving and low emissions all electric homes.
• There is also a new Residential Electrification Grants program. Grants will be available to volume home builders, developers and others to provide bulk rebates for solar panels, solar hot water and heat pumps to new home buyers up front.
• The Government is working to update the nation leading Gas Substitution Roadmap, which will be released later this year.
From https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/new-victorian-homes-go-all-electric-2024
Further clarification also confirms apartment buildings are required to be all electric – this includes mixed use residential buildings which include cafes / restaurants per Draft provisions. See https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/renewable-energy/victorias-gas-substitution-roadmap
Another useful way of saying the above – as provided by the Design Matters National designers body is:
The changes will not apply to:
1. Applications submitted prior to the start date of these new laws.
2. New dwellings that do not require a planning permit.
3. Renovations, alterations or additions (including substantial) to existing dwellings or apartment buildings.
4. Existing homes that have an existing gas connection.
5. The use of LPG (bottled gas) for outdoor barbeques.
6. Commercial lots within new estates.
We have been talking about and encouraging this move to all electric buildings for a while now along with many others. Great to see such a big progressive step to help buildings optimise the value of any installed solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels and take advantage of our mains electricity supply that in Victoria over the last year supplied more than 40% of our power from renewables and is on target to that being a much higher proportion.
Changes to sourcing our energy from mainly renewables cause disruption but they are possible and are happening. Fantastic!We have been talking about and encouraging this move to all electric buildings for a while now along with many others. Great to see such a big progressive step to help buildings optimise the value of any installed solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels and take advantage of our mains electricity supply that in Victoria over the last year supplied more than 40% of our power from renewables and is on target to that being a much higher proportion.
Changes to sourcing our energy from mainly renewables cause disruption but they are possible and are happening. Fantastic!
