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Can you help us get Victoria off gas?

Our open letter to the Victorian Government (displayed on the right side of this page) was delivered on the 28th Nov 2024 during an action on Parliament Steps. It's been a terrific campaign so far and we received some great coverage of the issue in this Croaky article. 

But this is just the beginning! We're going to keep pushing to address the health and equity issues that continue to burden vulnerable Victorians with an unfair load, as we the State continues to electrify. Here's some great ways you can help us keep pushing for gas-free homes?

Burning gas creates airborne toxins such as nitrogen dioxide and benzene. Children living with gas stoves have a 30% increased risk of developing asthma, similar to children living with secondhand cigarette smoke [1-3]. Benzene increases lifetime risk of leukaemia [4]. In addition, gas burning in homes contributes to climate change which is the greatest global health threat of our time.

 

Organisational Signatories:

 

 HF logoRACGP       afmw-logo-header-1.pngCAHA_NEW.png        AMSA   Your Community HealthBetter_Renting_LogoRewiring Logo350 AustraliaVoices of the ValleyAAFCS

References:

  1. Lin, W, Brunekreef, B & Gehring, U 2013, ‘Meta-analysis of the effects of indoor nitrogen dioxide and gas cooking on asthma and wheeze in children’, International Journal of Epidemiology, vol. 42, no. 6, pp1724–1737, https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyt150
  2. Jayes et al 2016, ‘SmokeHaz: systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the effects of smoking on respiratory health’, CHEST, vol. 150, no. 1, pp 164–179, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2016.03.060
  3. Vork, KL, Broadwin, RL & Blaisdell, RJ 2007, ‘Developing asthma in childhood from exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke: insights from a meta-regression’, Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 115, no. 10, pp 1394–1400, https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.10155
  4. https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/study-links-gas-stoves-with-leukaemia-carcinogen
renewable energy clean air Climate Change victoria

Will you sign?

To: the Hon. Jacinta Allan MP, Premier of Victoria

cc: the Hon. Lily D’Ambrosio MP, Victorian Minister for Climate Action, Energy and Resources, the Hon. Harriet Shing MP, Minister for Housing and Equality, and Mary-Anne Thomas MP, Victorian Minister for Health

Re: Urgent Action Needed to Address Health and Inequity Risks from Gas Cooktops in Victorian Homes

Dear Premier Allan,

We are an alliance of health and equity organisations, healthcare workers and community members writing to urge your government to protect Victorians from the health impacts of gas combustion and rising gas supply costs by supporting a swift transition to efficient electric alternatives, particularly for vulnerable households.

We commend the leadership shown through the Victorian Gas Substitution Roadmap, which lays a strong foundation for reducing harmful pollution. However, we are deeply concerned about the proposed exclusion of gas cooktops from electrification efforts.

Gas appliances pose significant health risks, including:

  • Cooking with gas in homes increases children’s risk of developing asthma by approximately 30%, comparable to the risk from secondhand cigarette smoke [1-3].
  • Gas cooktops release benzene, an airborne toxin that increases the risk of leukaemia [4-5].
  • All gas combustion contributes to climate change, which is a public health emergency. Between 2006 and 2017 an estimated 36,000 people in Australia died as a result of exposure to high temperatures [6]. We can expect even more severe health impacts as extreme weather events become more frequent [7].

Excluding gas cooktops from electrification continues exposing Victorians to these health hazards. Moreover, it risks exacerbating inequity, as households with greater financial means transition early to the economic benefits of electrification, leaving vulnerable groups—such as those in social housing, renters and low-income residents—bearing the rising costs of maintaining the gas network.

To protect public health and ensure an equitable energy future for all Victorians, we recommend a two-step approach.

Step 1: A Just Transition for Low-Income Households
Launch an ‘Equitable Electrification Program’ to provide meaningful, targeted financial incentives, helping social housing residents, low-income households and renters to transition to electric alternatives.

Step 2: Retrofit All Victorian Homes and End Gas Connections
Phase out gas cooktops and other gas appliances in all Victorian homes by requiring them to be replaced with electric alternatives at their end of life, with the aim of fully electrifying all households by 2035, in line with current Victorian Renewables and Emissions targets.

This two-step approach will reduce health risks, alleviate unjust cost-of-living pressures and contribute to achieving the government’s climate goals. Prioritising vulnerable populations will help ensure a fair and healthy future for all Victorians. 

We urge you to act now to protect public health and build a more sustainable, equitable energy future for Victoria. Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to your leadership on this issue.

Sincerely,

[signatories]

References:

  1. Lin, W, Brunekreef, B & Gehring, U 2013, ‘Meta-analysis of the effects of indoor nitrogen dioxide and gas cooking on asthma and wheeze in children’, International Journal of Epidemiology, vol. 42, no. 6, pp1724–1737, https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyt150
  2. Jayes, L, Haslam, PL, Gratziou, CG, Powell, P, Britton, J, Vardavas, C, Jimenez-Ruiz, C, Leonardi-Bee, J, Dautzenberg, B, Lundbäck, B, Fletcher, M, Turnbull, A, Katsaounou, P, Heederik, D, Smyth, D, Ravara, S, Sculier, J-P, Martin, F & Orive, JIDG 2016, ‘SmokeHaz: systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the effects of smoking on respiratory health’, CHEST, vol. 150, no. 1, pp 164–179, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2016.03.060
  3. Vork, KL, Broadwin, RL & Blaisdell, RJ 2007, ‘Developing asthma in childhood from exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke: insights from a meta-regression’, Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 115, no. 10, pp 1394–1400, https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.10155
  4. Woodley, M 2023, ‘Study links gas stoves with leukaemia carcinogen’, newsGP, available at https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/study-links-gas-stoves-with-leukaemia-carcinogen, accessed 17 October 2024
  5. Kashtan, YS, Nicholson, M, Finnegan, C, Ouyang, Z, Lebel, ED, Michanowicz, DR, Shonkoff, SBC & Jackson RB 2023, ‘Gas and propane combustion from stoves emits benzene and increases indoor air pollution’, Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 57, no. 26, 9653-9663, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c09289
  6. Longden T, Quilty S, Haywood P, Hunter A & Gruen R 2020, 'Heat-related mortality: an urgent need to recognise and record', The Lancet Planetary Health, vol. 4, no. 5, e171, available at https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(20)30100-5/fulltext, accessed 28 October 2024
  7. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2024, ‘Natural environment and health’, available at https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/natural-environment-and-health, accessed 17 October 2024
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