‘Reluctant’ approval for Tasmanian datacentre sets marker for national battle

Concerns over planning process as George Town council gives go-ahead for 288MW AI factory despite opposition from locals Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The day before Anthony Albanese secured agreement with states and territories to develop national datacentre standards, a small council in Tasmania was grappling with the existing regulations in the face of strong community opposition to a new AI factory planned for its town. The George Town council voted 6-1 to approve the plans of Australian developer Firmus to build a 288 megawatt (MW) datacentre at Long Reach, north of Launceston, but said it did so reluctantly. The AI factory is planned on the former Gunns Pulp Mill site near the Tamar River, and has faced strong opposition from locals. A petition calling to stop the centre going ahead had nearly 6,000 signatures. More than 300 people wrote submissions on the application to the council. Many of the submissions raised concerns about energy use, concerns about AI, or pointed to “commonwealth regulation”, according to the council’s agenda document, which said those concerns were “outside th