Victoria has unveiled new rules for datacentres that will restrict where new facilities can be built and require them to source renewable energy, but the rules will not apply to existing centres or projects already in the planning pipeline.
Premier Ben Carroll and AI minister Anthony Carbines released the government’s sustainable datacentre action plan on Tuesday. Carroll described the measures as the strongest and clearest datacentre rules in Australia.
The rules include a ban on new datacentres near schools and childcare centres, as well as in rural areas that cannot support them. New developments will also require a 150-metre buffer from homes.
New datacentres will have to source their own renewable energy and pay for connection costs and network upgrades. They will also need to use recycled or non-drinking water for cooling or offset their water use.
The government said 19 datacentre applications currently in the pipeline were seeking a combined 19,714 megalitres of water a year, equivalent to about 4{0931a9b6576c5d87fe846c236d3725957ace4ff7894c2ecd00b9029ccfe6a5f9} of Melbourne’s current water supply. More than 50 existing datacentres currently use less than 1{0931a9b6576c5d87fe846c236d3725957ace4ff7894c2ecd00b9029ccfe6a5f9} of drinking water in Melbourne and Geelong, according to the government.
The plan also includes a “local investment guarantee”, with new datacentres expected to contribute to projects such as jobs, TAFEs and parks. Operators will be required to employ Victorians during construction and provide training for long-term roles.
The government will also mandate community consultation and retain existing noise, fire and safety requirements.
However, the measures have drawn criticism because they will not apply retrospectively. The Victorian Greens said the exclusion of projects already in the pipeline left what they described as a major gap in the proposed protections.
Industry reaction has been mixed. Datacentres Australia chief executive Belinda Dennett said the rules could encourage investment to move to other states, while CDC chief executive Greg Boorer welcomed the greater clarity provided by the regulations.
The rules come amid growing community debate over datacentre developments ahead of Victoria’s November election. Several projects, including an expansion planned by NextDC in Footscray and a proposed large facility in Plumpton, have attracted opposition or concern from politicians and community members.
The Victorian government says the new framework is intended to manage the environmental, infrastructure and community impacts of future datacentre development. Projects already in the pipeline will continue under existing planning arrangements.
Source: The Guardian
