Premier Jeremy Rockliff has ruled out a data centre as the mystery proposal that Labor says the government is paying almost $100,000 to assess, but is yet to say what it is.
Asked in parliament this week whether the unsolicited proposal, which is being assessed by a Sydney consultant, was a data centre and told to answer “yes or no”, Rockliff replied: “No.”
Labor first raised the proposal on Tuesday, saying the government had refused to say what it was.
“Will you release the proposal so Tasmanians can see what you’re spending $100,000 on assessing?” Labor leader Josh Willie asked.
Rockliff pointed to Treasury’s unsolicited proposal guidelines, saying “they are being followed, is the advice that I have”.
“What I can say is that we welcome the opportunity that these investments provide. I’m sure you would too if you saw the bigger picture,” he said.
Labor and the Greens have accused the government of secrecy over data centres, including a separate proposal near Nook, outside Sheffield, where the Greens say landholders have been approached to sell farmland.
The Greens say documents tabled in parliament describe a 200 to 300-megawatt data centre.
The Office of the Coordinator-General has declined to name the company behind it, saying companies often deal with the office on a commercial-in-confidence basis.
Rockliff told parliament the Nook project was “at a very early feasibility stage” and the proponent was “yet to decide whether to proceed”.
He said the proponent would do due diligence, including community consultation, before deciding.
Labor also asked how much Firmus would pay into the government’s local community benefit fund for its St Leonards site.
The government announced the fund on October 14 but has not said how much companies will pay or how contributions will be calculated.
Rockliff said the draft statement of expectations expected proponents to “pay their own way” and contribute to the fund so host communities “share directly in the benefits”.
He indicated St Leonards would be covered by the fund, saying: “Yes, I’ve said yes to your question in terms of St Leonards. There’s no conspiracies here.”
He did not say when payments would begin or how they would be made compulsory, saying the government would “work through how the fund will be established and how it will be distributed”.
Firmus withdrew its planned share market float earlier this month, saying it would seek private funding instead.
Business Minister Felix Ellis told parliament he had been advised the cancelled listing “does not have any impact on its planned Tasmanian operations”.
He said Firmus had indicated St Leonards and the first stage at Wesley Vale were fully funded.
He said funding for George Town and the second stage at Wesley Vale would follow once development applications for those sites were finalised.
Ellis said Firmus and Hydro Tasmania were in “advanced discussions” on a long-term power agreement covering all three sites, which would depend on the sites going ahead.
Firmus says the sites would need about 444 megawatts once fully built, which would likely make it the state’s largest electricity user.
