$40 Chicken Schnitzels: Hospitality Chief Warns Cutting Gas Could Cost Pubgoers

Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis has promised not to ban new gas connections in South Australia.

Wiener Schnitzel. Samira Bouaou/Epoch Times

A chicken schnitzel at a pub could cost as much as $40 (US$26.46) if natural gas is banned, the vice president of the Australian Hotels Association has warned.

Australian Hotels Association State President David Basheer told pub owners during an annual Christmas luncheon that a ban on new gas connections could drive up the price of pub favourites.

“Natural gas is increasingly under siege,” Mr. Basheer said during a Christmas lunch speech quoted by The Advertiser.

South Australian (SA) Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis was quick to reassure residents of his state he would not be banning gas connections.

It comes after the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria have both revealed plans to ban natural gas on new residential and commercial facilities in the near future.

But Minister Koutsantonis, posting a link to an article about the schnitzel on X (formerly Twitter), revealed South Australia would not be following Victoria’s lead on new gas connections.

“South Australia will not be banning the schnitzel or new gas connections,” he said in a post to X.

“Natural gas is essential for our decarbonisation plans.

“Any pub bought schnitzel in an electrified kitchen in Victoria has a much larger carbon footprint than any SA pub.”

Victoria Ban On New Gas Connections

In Victoria, new gas connections will be banned for new apartments, homes, and residential subdivisions from 2024.

Thousands of people signed a petition calling on Victoria to scrap the ban on new gas stoves, after former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced the initiative in July 2023.

However, a strategic plan launched by the government-owned Victorian State Electricity Commission (SEC) in October, confirms the state still requires all new homes to be electric from 2024 (pdf)

“With around 80 percent of households connected to gas, Victorians use more gas at home than any Australian state,” the plan, released by new Premier Jacinta Allan states.

“Switching heating, hot water, and other appliances to electric will help reduce emissions and energy bills. In fact, whole home electrification can lower household energy bills significantly.”

Australian Capital Territory Gas Ban

Meanwhile, a ban on new gas will also apply in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) from Dec. 8.

The Labor and Greens government will apply the new regulation to all new residential, commercial, and community facility zones as part of its net zero push.

The new law will also apply to major renovation projects and knockdown rebuilds where a gas connection has been removed.

A gas burner working. Fred Tanneau/AFP via Getty Images

Speaking on the plan last week, Greens Emissions Reduction Minister Shane Rattenbury said the regulation would help the city achieve a “sustainable, zero emissions future.”

“This regulation to prevent new gas network connections in the ACT is an important step to reaching net zero emissions by 2045,” Mr. Rattenbury said.

He said about one-third of Canberra homes ran completely on electricity and that existing gas connections will not be impacted by the new regulation.

An exemption process will also be established for some businesses, however, the government said these would only be granted in “limited circumstances.”