Residents of three housing estates in Mickleham will be forced to move into their new homes without mains gas.
Despite issuing land titles and giving builders the green light to start work, developers Evolve Development and MAB Corporation recently told landowners in Merrifield, Annadale and The Woods developments in Donnybrook Road that natural gas wouldn’t be connected until September.
Natural gas provider APA Group has apologised for the delay in mains supplies and suggested new home owners buy appliances which work with LPG and can be converted to natural gas later.
One landowner, who asked to remain anonymous, was outraged that she and her fiance will be forced to use bottled gas with little compensation.
She said the couple bought land in The Woods development two years ago and had suffered numerous setbacks since, including delays in the commencement-of-building date and issuing of the land title. They plan to start building their home within the next few weeks but worry they’ll have to hold off landscaping until September so that a mains gas connection can be installed.
“Our builders have never heard of this before,” she said.
“I’m angry and disappointed. I’ve been waiting a long time. Now we won’t have gas and we have to provide gas bottles ourselves.”
A spokesman from APA Group denied there was a delay.
“There is no delay in the installation of gas pipework to new homes, but it’s expected that appliances will use LPG initially and then be converted to natural gas,” he said.
The spokesman said APA Networks was processing gas connection requests for new homes and installing gaspipes to properties as they were being built. He said that once natural gas was available, to the estates, APA Group would cover the cost of converting home owners’ appliances from LPG.
MAB Corporation and Evolve Develop- ments declined to comment.
