More than 10,000 Tasmanians have signed a petition calling for a moratorium on AI data centres, in what the Greens say is one of the largest e-petitions in the state’s parliamentary history.
Greens Bass MP Cecily Rosol tabled the parliamentary e-petition, signed by about 10,035 people, alongside a similarly worded written petition signed by about 33 people today.
The petition calls for AI-specific planning laws, a public register of energy and water use, parliamentary oversight of facilities worth more than $50 million, a jobs guarantee and protections for electricity consumers.
“They want to be heard, they want to be listened to and the Greens are calling on the government to listen,” Rosol said.
“They can’t just keep ignoring people and their really valid concerns.”
Greens science and information technology spokesperson Tabatha Badger said Tasmanians had been left completely in the dark about the scale of AI infrastructure planned for the state.
She said three proposed data centres alone would consume around a quarter of Tasmania’s power.
Badger asked Premier Jeremy Rockliff during question time today which companies the Office of the Coordinator-General was working with, where they wanted to build and how much energy and water they would use.
He did not name any.
“This information will be available as the process gets launched,” Rockliff said.
He said Tasmania has a strong, well-established planning framework for assessing new development, including data centres and AI infrastructure.
“We welcome opportunity when it comes to AI factories to data centres because they provide employment in construction and further employment in operation,” Rockliff said.
He said guardrails were discussed at National Cabinet and draft federal legislation was expected towards the end of the year.
Energy Minister Nick Duigan said Firmus was in ongoing discussions with Hydro Tasmania about how power for its newly approved Bell Bay facility would be procured.
“New load will need to bring new renewable generation,” Duigan said.
Independent Clark MP Helen Burnet also backed the moratorium, saying the local planning process was “nowhere near suitable to assess developments of this scale and nature.”
George Town Council recently approved the Firmus data centre at Bell Bay.
