Exclusive: Greens unveil plan to ban gas from SA households
The SA Greens have unveiled a $382 million plan to tackle the state’s “climate crisis” and its harmful algal bloom, with a controversial bid to ban gas from homes.
Gas power in homes would be phased out under the SA Greens’ four-year, $382 million Plan for Climate, Energy, and the Environment released today, which would also scrap all subsidies and gas exploration permits for businesses like the state’s largest company Santos.
The Greens said its costings were based on comparable projects and that the party would announce a range of potential revenue measures to pay for the initiatives in the new year.
Citing figures from the Grattan Institute, the Greens said that the electrification of household appliances could save households $500 a year in energy bills.
Santos ranked first on InDaily’s 2025 South Australian Business Index, which ranks the state’s top 100 businesses, and had a revenue of $8,695,157,900 for the 2024 financial year.
The company did not respond to a request for comment, but its website said its “goal is to backfill and sustainably grow our oil and gas portfolio to meet growing energy demand and provide reliable, affordable energy the world needs for modern life and human progress”.
Paul Martyn, who is chief executive of the Department for Energy and Mining, previously said that gas would be key to “firm” renewables and ensure a reliable energy supply as South Australia moves towards net zero.
“We are, as a state, going to have to think about how we manage this diverse energy mix, and we are managing it. But the challenges of ensuring that we have that gas in a role to come in when we need it are important,” he said.
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SA Greens leader Robert Simms said that “South Australian taxpayers have been propping up the gas industry with subsidies for some time”.
“This proves a false economy, as this money could be invested into renewables, battery storage, and solar,” he said.
Among a raft of proposed measures, the Greens would encourage the electrification of home appliances, as well as provide increased incentives for South Australian households and businesses to improve energy efficiency and join Virtual Power Plants.
It would also explore bringing the Electricity Trust of South Australia back into public hands, creating a Resource Efficiency Fund for those living on community title and strata schemes, and introducing a levy on plastic waste.
In addition, the Greens would introduce a Sustainable Household Fund, with low-interest loans for homeowners and landlords to electrify appliances in their properties, and support bids for the Adelaide Park Lands and Mount Lofty Ranges to be UNESCO World Heritage listed.
Under the Greens’ plan, some $200 million over four years would also be spent to protect marine ecosystems and tackle the algal bloom, while $4 million would be spent per year to rehabilitate marine wildlife after it has cleared up.
Meanwhile, the Greens would introduce dedicated research, monitoring and environmental remediation of the algal bloom, launch a “better” public information campaign and warning system, and compensate workers and communities affected by the environmental disaster.
“The toxic algal crisis is the worst marine event in our history. Fish, sharks, penguins, and other marine life are dying in shocking numbers while this bloom wreaks havoc on our ocean and our beaches,” Greens lead upper house candidate Melanie Selwood said.
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“The Greens will be campaigning for urgent funding to protect and restore our oceans and to support coastal communities devastated by this catastrophe.”
South Australia’s harmful algal bloom was first seen in mid-March near Waitpinga and Parsons beaches on the Fleurieu Peninsula, causing thousands of marine deaths across the state.
As reported yesterday in InDaily, SA beachgoers were reporting thousands of dead fish washing up on city beaches despite the algal bloom showing signs of “clearing up” in metropolitan waters.
Additionally, the Greens would legislate a target for net-zero emissions by 2035, scrap all subsidies and gas exploration permits for companies like Santos, and create pathways for gas workers to transition to new jobs for equal pay.
It would also move to end these companies’ sponsorship of events such as the Santos Tour Down Under.
InDaily reported in September that Adelaide Botanic Gardens had removed Santos’ name from its Museum of Economic Botany.
“With SA bidding to host COP, it’s time to take ambitious measures that will entrench South Australia as a world leader in tackling the climate crisis,” Simms said.
SA Greens would also strengthen tree canopy laws by updating a significant tree register and amending the Native Vegetation Regulations.
The plan would increase penalties for the illegal removal of native vegetation, double grants for native restoration to $20 million each year, require permission and approval before removing a tree close to a dwelling, and increase green spaces in built-up areas.
Currently, the Native Vegetation Regulations permit “[t]he clearance of vegetation that is growing or is situated within 10 metres of an existing building for the purpose of maintaining the building”.
According to an exclusive DemosAU/Ace Strategies pre-election poll published in InDaily in October, the Greens are projected to pick up one seat in the Legislative Council in the March 2026 State Election.
