A parliamentary petition calling for a halt to AI data centre development in Tasmania has drawn more than 4,200 signatures in under a week, with the Greens pushing for tighter rules before any new facilities are approved.
Greens MP Tabatha Badger said the response was unprecedented for a Tasmanian parliamentary petition and showed deep community concern about the unregulated rollout of AI and data facilities across the state.
“Tasmanians are calling for a moratorium on any new AI and data facilities in this state until we have proper regulation, until there is parliamentary oversight on the energy and water that is gonna be contributed to them, until they actually fit within a proper part of the planning system,” Badger said.
The petition specifically targets the expansion plans of Singapore-based company Firmus, which has proposed a 440-megawatt operation across three Tasmanian sites that would make it the state’s largest energy consumer.
Badger said the Greens were working to establish a parliamentary inquiry into the industry as an urgent priority.
“The Tasmanian Parliament hasn’t been presented with a business case for these AI factories,” she said.
“Neither has the Tasmanian community.”
She said residents in St Leonards were caught off guard by an approved expansion at a local site and had questions about noise, light pollution and health effects that nobody had answered.
Badger criticised the process as backwards, saying Firmus had announced its plans before carrying out genuine community consultation.
Infrastructure Minister Kerry Vincent acknowledged the scale of community interest but said existing planning processes were adequate.
“How great it is for a business to be investing two point seven billion dollars into Tasmania, that’s just staggering numbers,” Vincent said.
“It is a new industry and it does take a bit to get your head around what data centers are and their requirements.”
Asked whether the government would introduce legislation to regulate the AI industry, Vincent did not commit to any specific measures.
“I’m struggling to understand Facebook, let alone the AI industry. We’re living in a world with so many different moving parts at the moment,” he said.
“A lot more conversation needs to take part with a lot of these different things that are changing so rapidly.”
Firmus said it was expanding its community engagement efforts for its proposed Bell Bay project, including drop-in sessions in person and online.
“Community engagement matters to us and we take feedback seriously,” a Firmus spokesperson said.
The company said its development application included detailed information on traffic, noise, water usage, fire safety and environmental impact, and that the project had been designed to minimise resource use.
“Firmus remains committed to working constructively with local residents, George Town Council and regional partners to ensure the project delivers long-term value for Tasmania,” the spokesperson said.
The petition will close in August and is expected to be tabled when parliament resumes.
