Albany community needs immediate and transparent support through ATCO gas decommissioning, says Scott Leary

Work to support Albany gas users affected by ATCO’s decommissioning of the city’s mains gas network needs to begin immediately and remain transparent to keep locals in the loop, says Albany MLA Scott Leary. Albany’s gas network owner ATCO announced it was phasing out the city’s mains gas network on Monday, with thousands of customers forced to move to bottled gas in a three-year phase-out. Mr Leary released a statement on Tuesday in response to the public announcement, addressing the “significant concerns” rising across the community. The City of Albany also said it was “disappointed” to receive the news. “We recognise the impact this will have on affected residents and businesses, and we will advocate on their behalf to ensure there is timely and practical support for customers during the transition,” a city spokesperson said. About 60 per cent of Albany is connected to mains gas, representing about 8000 customers from McKail to Middleton Beach. When announcing the plan, ATCO reasoned that the ageing network was too expensive to replace, with the projected $80m cost burden falling on customers. Mr Leary said that while the decommissioning process would be carried out gradually over the next three years, he could understand local outrage and worry. “This announcement has understandably caused anxiety in the community,” he said. “While ATCO has given assurances that customers won’t be suddenly disconnected, many people are now asking very real questions about what this transition will actually look like on the ground. “I have already been contacted by aged care homes who are deeply concerned about how they can safely and reliably replace a reticulated gas supply. “These facilities operate under strict safety, fire, planning and access requirements. “What might be workable for a standalone household is not necessarily workable for an aged care facility, a commercial kitchen or a large site.” Mr Leary said while ATCO had indicated it would work with the WA Government to support customers during the transition, the work needed to begin urgently and transparently. “The community needs clarity around who pays for infrastructure changes, what support will be available and how vulnerable services like aged care will be protected,” he said. “This process must be done properly, transparently and with the community — not to the community.”