A plain-language guide published by Dotto
Gas leak detector: if you smell gas
Gas networks and safety regulators in Australia publish short lists of what to do. This guide sets out those lists in their own order, quoting the regulators and summarising the networks, with the emergency number each network gives for its own area.
If there is a fire, or a life is in danger, call 000. Australian Gas Infrastructure Group lists 000 for “life threatening emergencies”, and Tas Gas Networks says “In case of fire call 000 immediately.”
For a gas leak that is not a fire, two regulators give different first steps. Energy Safe Victoria’s advice is to “call the emergency number on your gas bill”. NSW Fair Trading says: “If you smell gas in your property, exit the building immediately, call 000 and ask for the NSW Fire Service.” The numbers by area are below.
Three of the lists, from each organisation’s own page
Energy Safe Victoria’s list is quoted word for word. Jemena’s and ATCO’s are given in summary, in this guide’s words, because their pages are not published under an open licence; every step is kept, in the order each organisation gives them. They are not identical, and this guide does not merge them or add to them. The full guide to what to do if you smell gas sets out seven lists side by side and shows where they differ.
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Energy Safe Victoria
Victoria’s energy safety regulator. “If you smell gas, take the following precautions”:
- “Turn off the gas at the meter (natural gas users) or at the tank or cylinder (LP gas users) – only if safe to do so.”
- “Extinguish all flames and do not smoke or strike matches.”
- “Do not operate electrical switches or devices.”
- “If inside a building or home, open doors and windows to ventilate the area.”
- “Keep people away from the affected area.”
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Jemena
Which describes itself as the largest gas distributor in New South Wales. Its steps, in summary:
- Recognise. Gas smells like rotten eggs or cabbage, and that smell can be a sign of a leak.
- Leave. If you think there is a leak, remove or switch off anything that could set it alight, and leave the area straight away. Don’t smoke or use your phone, and make sure any naked flames are put out.
- Report it. Report the possible leak online, or call Jemena on 131 909, at any time of day, 7 days a week.
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ATCO
Which operates Western Australia’s largest reticulated gas network. Its page heads the steps Identify, Leave, Call ATCO. In summary:
- Identify. Gas is flammable and smells like rotten eggs; treat that smell as the sign of a potential gas leak.
- Leave. If you smell gas, always remove anything that could set it alight (don’t smoke, and don’t use electrical appliances, light switches or mobile phones), and move quickly away from the area.
- Call ATCO. Call ATCO on 13 13 52, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; if you are outside, you can also report the leak online. If you are inside a building, leave the area first, then call.
Gas emergency numbers, by area
Each number below was read on the network’s own website on 8 October 2026, and each area is as that network or the state regulator describes it. A gas network looks after the street mains, the pipe to your meter and the meter itself; ATCO, for one, says it does not sell gas and is not a gas retailer, so the company on your bill may be a different one. Energy Safe Victoria’s advice is to use “the emergency number on your gas bill”.
| State or territory | Network | Area, as described | Gas leaks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria | Multinet Gas | Inner and outer east Melbourne, the Yarra Ranges and South Gippsland | 132 691 |
| Victoria | Australian Gas Networks | North and south-eastern Melbourne and northern and eastern Victoria | 1800 427 532 (1800 GAS LEAK) |
| Victoria | AusNet | Western and central Victoria | 13 67 07 |
| New South Wales | Jemena | Jemena’s gas network in New South Wales | 131 909 |
| New South Wales | Australian Gas Networks | Albury, Wagga, Temora, Tumut Valley and Cooma | 1800 427 532 |
| ACT and nearby NSW | Evoenergy | The ACT and Queanbeyan-Palerang gas network, and Nowra | 13 19 09 |
| Queensland | Australian Gas Networks | From the Brisbane River north to North Lakes, and west of Brisbane from Augustine Heights to Leichhardt | 1800 427 532 |
| Queensland and northern NSW | Allgas | From Brisbane south of the river through to the northern tip of New South Wales, plus separate networks in Toowoomba and Oakey | 1800 427 532 |
| South Australia | Australian Gas Networks | Greater Adelaide, Mt Gambier, Riverland, Port Pirie and Whyalla | 1800 427 532 |
| Western Australia | ATCO | Metropolitan Perth, plus regional centres such as Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Bunbury and Albany | 13 13 52 |
| Tasmania | Tas Gas Networks | The natural gas distribution network in Tasmania | 1802 111 |
Bottled gas (LPG). Energy Safe Victoria says most LP gas cylinders and tanks “show the name of the gas supplier and emergency contact details”, and to “keep these details close at hand”.
Not in this table? That includes the Northern Territory and any network not listed here. Energy Safe Victoria’s advice is to call the emergency number on your own gas bill, or the one on your cylinder or tank. NSW Fair Trading also says your gas supplier’s phone number “can be found on your gas bill”.
Six guides
Each one is drawn from the regulator, network, fire service or national body that owns the subject, and links to it.
- What to do if you smell gas
Seven official lists side by side, where they differ, and who repairs which part of the pipe.
- Carbon monoxide from gas heaters
Why an open-flued heater can spill a gas you cannot see or smell, as Victoria’s regulators explain it.
- Servicing gas appliances
How often, what a service includes, and who may do gas work, state by state where the source allows.
- LPG cylinders at home
Checking, connecting, carrying and swapping a gas bottle, from the fire service and regulators.
- Before you dig
Finding out where underground gas pipes run before a shovel goes in, through Before You Dig Australia.
- Gas appliance recalls
Checking whether your heater, cooktop or regulator has been recalled, and what to do if it has.