30/09/2026
An ACT Government plan to transition plumbers and gasfitters, a clearer and more transparent shutdown pathway for homes and businesses and being more upfront with consumers about transition costs, are key themes in Master Plumbers ACT’s latest submission response to the Territory’s natural gas shutdown by 2045.
“The removal of piped natural gas from the ACT’s energy system is a huge undertaking that Master Plumbers ACT (MPA ACT) disagrees with. The impact on plumbers, gasfitters and our trade will be enormous, and the policy will reduce energy and amenity choice for Canberrans,” Joe Prevedello said today.
“However, as the ACT Government continues to pursue the shutdown, MPA ACT believes the Government should focus on some key issues to mitigate the negative impacts of the policy going forward."
The Government needs to be more upfront about the cost burden residents and businesses will incur to transition off gas and go fully electric
Canberrans deserve to know exactly when their gas will be switched off well ahead of the time to allow for planning and transition of appliances. By removing safe natural gas from homes, residents often go looking for alternatives, education about the dangers of using bottled gas unsafely is critical
“Ensuring Canberra has a strong workforce to manage the transition and shutdown is just one of the reasons our local plumbers and gasfitters need an ACT Government driven plan to help the sector,” Joe Prevedello said.
“Without positive changes to local and national policy, we’ll have a shortage of plumbing professionals in the workforce in coming years and that’s without the extra pressure of switching gas off network wide.
“Then there’s the converse problem of having a sharp decline in gas work once the network is closed. When someone undertakes an apprenticeship in our trade, they become plumbers and gasfitters, so with the shutdown of gas, up to half the typical plumber’s workload is taken away,” Joe Prevedello concluded.
