Rowella residents to challenge council approval of nearby AI data centre

Residents Anne-Marie Bastian and Nicholla Thompson of Rowella have launched a challenge to George Town Council's recent approval of Firmus Technologies' 288-megawatt AI data centre at Bell Bay, arguing that the 1993 Land Use Planning and Approvals Act cannot adequately evaluate such high-tech projects. Their appeal must be filed within 14 days, and they are seeking to raise between $20,000 and $50,000 for legal costs. The council, led by Mayor Greg Keiser, maintained that it was bound by the current planning scheme and could not reject the proposal on other grounds.

A separate 104-megawatt centre is under construction near Launcetown, and a 52-megawatt application in Wesley Vale awaits council vote, with Latrobe Mayor Peter Freshney considering a request to the planning minister to deem it a "major project" for state-level review. State officials, including Planning Minister Kerry Vincent and Premier Jeremy Rockliff, have indicated the project does not meet criteria for a state-significant designation. University of Tasmania professor David Adams warned that existing legislation fails to address cumulative environmental and social impacts of multiple AI facilities.