Ballan electricity advocate takes gas-free push to Canberra

BALLAN resident Renee Robinson has taken her campaign encouraging people to go all-electric and gas-free to the corridors of national power.

Ms Robinson was among 23 delegates from around Australia – and one of only four from Victoria – who travelled to Canberra in February to lobby federal politicians for support in the all-electric push.

The trip was led by environmental organisation 1 Million Women and involved more than 20 non-partisan meetings over three days with members of the Australian Labor Party, the Coalition, crossbenchers and the Greens.

Delegates included single mothers, women living in social housing, renters, home owners, women who have made their homes all-electric, and others just starting the switch from gas.

Ms Robinson belongs to the 1 Million Women group and nominated to be part of the delegation late last year.

“The highlight was definitely meeting all of these amazing women and hearing their stories,” she said.

“Some stories were really moving and you could see the impact they had on the politicians.”

Ms Robinson said the meetings she enjoyed the most were with Independent Member for Indi Helen Haines and the LNP’s Bridget Archer.

“We talked about simple things renters could do, like buy a portable induction cooktop, to more complex ideas like investing in community-owned solar farms,” she said.

“However, the main reason we were there was to ask our government to commit to helping one million households across Australia get off gas and go all-electric by 2028.

“This could be in the form of subsidies, retrofitting social housing, setting better household energy standards, supporting community solar batteries and more.”

Ms Robinson said both major parties had now committed to supporting the all-electric push if they win the coming election.

She became involved in the campaign after experiencing the benefits of electrifying her home in 2022.

“Initially I switched my gas heater and gas cooktop to electric for environmental reasons,” Ms Robinson said.

“I felt helpless after the 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires and wanted to do whatever I could to reduce my carbon footprint.

“What surprised me was a significant reduction in my power bills and no more asthma attacks.

“I then installed solar panels using a no-interest loan scheme and bought a second-hand electric vehicle imported from Japan.”

Ms Robinson said her message to politicians centred around the health benefits of going all-electric.

“I talked about no longer having asthma attacks, but also how my elderly neighbour would often fill her house with carbon monoxide because she forgot to turn her gas cooktop off,” she said.

“Faulty gas appliances and forgetfulness are a tragedy waiting to happen.

“The health and safety benefits of removing gas from homes is a no-brainer, but the cost of living benefits by reducing people’s power bills was the big selling point to politicians.

“I also felt pretty proud that Victoria is currently the only state to have legislated that no new homes will be built connected to gas.

“We’re setting a standard I hope other states will follow.”

The 1 Million Women organisation is campaigning for politicians to support electrification of at least one million homes in the next term of government. Its website is at 1millionwomen.com.au .