Waikato Farming Lifestyles
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14 March 2021 WAIKATO FarMING LIFESTYLES<br />
TO BUILD OR RENOVATE<br />
by Andy Bryenton<br />
Gas axed in proposed plan<br />
The plan is in from the central government; no new natural gas connections to the network or bottled LPG connections after 2025.<br />
Ailing gas heating and hot water systems may have to switch to electricity or biomass when replaced, and existing natural gas<br />
supplies might be phased out as early as 2050.<br />
The story of natural gas begins<br />
millions of years ago, with the mass<br />
extinctions that ushered out the<br />
dinosaurs. The end of that story looks<br />
likely to be written by government<br />
legislation, starting in the present day.<br />
Proponents are in favour, for green<br />
reasons, preventing what is being<br />
called the Anthropocene extinction,<br />
the climate shift that could wipe out<br />
life as we know it. Detractors point to<br />
the almost universal use of natural gas<br />
for barbecues, restaurants, welding<br />
and more.<br />
The end of gas is part of the Climate<br />
Change Commission’s report on how<br />
New Zealand could go carbon neutral<br />
by 2050.<br />
While many of the suggestions made<br />
in the report are focussed on agriculture<br />
and transport, the gas phase-out came<br />
as a shock to small businesses in the<br />
hospitality industry, where 95 per cent<br />
of restaurants are gas-powered. It’s also<br />
prompted a rethink by building firms<br />
looking at future-proofing their designs,<br />
and consumers considering the end of<br />
califonts, gas hot water heaters and gas<br />
fires, gas ovens and hobs.<br />
“We can’t continue to postpone what<br />
we need to do to reach our goals,”<br />
said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.<br />
“The government will not hold back,”<br />
she reiterated, saying that future<br />
generations should not foot the bill for<br />
current inaction.<br />
The cost of this is estimated at one<br />
per cent of our national gross domestic<br />
product each year, or roughly $2 to<br />
$3 billion.<br />
However, those in the gasfitting<br />
industry, those who supply gas to<br />
homes and restaurants, and those who<br />
sell heating, cooking and water heating<br />
appliances will feel a much bigger shake<br />
up coming.<br />
Already gas products have seen a dip<br />
in sales, based only on the revelation<br />
Government proposals to reduce carbon emissions include the recommendation that gas could be<br />
turned off for good, starting with no new installs in just four years’ time.<br />
that there’s 29 years to go before the<br />
tap is turned off. That, to some, is a<br />
price being paid today for blue sky (or<br />
green) promises tomorrow.<br />
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