Key Takeaway
Concerns over planning process as George Town council gives go-ahead for 288MW AI factory despite opposition from localsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe 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…
Published August 26, 2026 · Category: News
Overview
Concerns over planning process as George Town council gives go-ahead for 288MW AI factory despite opposition from locals
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.
Details
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.
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Source
Originally published at www.theguardian.com.
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What is "‘Reluctant’ approval for Tasmanian datacentre sets marker for national battle" about?+
Concerns over planning process as George Town council gives go-ahead for 288MW AI factory despite opposition from localsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe 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
Who reported this story?+
This story was reported by The Guardian World.