The Liberals’ Statement of Expectations for Data Centres and AI Infrastructure has fallen well short of Tasmanians’ expectations of government to adequately plan for the future.
This document merely discusses the policies which can be put in place. It’s an admission that the Liberals have been asleep at the wheel when it comes to planning for the AI infrastructure developments they’ve been encouraging to come to Tasmania.
The expectations document clearly sets out and asks the very questions the Green have been asking of the Liberals for months about how they’re going to regulate this industry and place obligations on it to ensure Tasmania benefits. And still we have no answers.
The Liberal Government have ushered in an age of AI infrastructure without consulting the community or ensuring their interests are protected. It’s left our regulatory system completely unequipped to deal with assessing AI infrastructure.
When we have one company alone seeking 30% of our states power for a AI factories, and zero statutory guardrails in place specifically for AI infrastructure or around the allocation of finite energy and water resources, Tasmanians needs more than a statement. They need action.
This is exactly what the community signalled last week when one of the largest ever e-petitions was tabled calling for a moratorium on AI and data centre facilities until guardrails are in established. The Liberals ignored the community, so why would Tasmanians have any confidence that their voices will be genuinely heard through feedback on this statement.
The Greens’ will continue to do the government’s homework for them, and make progress to protect Tasmania’s interests when it comes to data centres and AI infrastructure through the inquiry.
