The Greens stand with the overwhelming community turn out in Sheffield on Saturday afternoon, calling for transparency and genuine consultation on AI data centres in Kentish and across Tasmania. With the 300 capacity town hall overflowing, Sheffield residents and supportive Tasmanians, made it very clear they do not want a data centre in the region.
The Greens joined several organisations to address the meeting, to share what we know and hear from locals. Energy, water use, and the absence of guardrails, were raised as key concerns, in addition to the lack of regulation on the technology that may be operating within the data centres.
Ensuring future regulatory and legislative guardrails extend to data centres is what we heard loud and clear in last week’s AI Data Centre inquiry hearings, and Saturday’s meeting in Sheffield backed that in as an expectation of the community. Again, the community has called for a moratorium on AI infrastructure and data centres until there are proper safeguards, shaped by the community, are in place to protect Tassie’s environment, resources, and way of life.
The meeting passed three motions. These included calling on the council to enact a moratorium; for the state government not to introduce the latest DAP bill facilitating data centre development without community appeal rights; and for the Nook data centre proponent or the entity acting in their behalf, to consult with the community and outline their plans for people’s back paddocks.
It’s clear from the vast number of community members showing up time and time again to public meetings on this issue that Tasmanians need avenues to be heard and listened to. The Greens will continue to fight for transparency and guardrails for data centres.
A moratorium is needed now, and until regulation and legislation is in place. It’s time the Liberal Government and Labor opposition heard this urgent plea from Tasmanians.
