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

George Town council in Tasmania has voted 6-1 to approve Firmus’s 288MW AI datacentre at Long Reach, despite strong local opposition and nearly 6,000 petition signatures. Councillors said they had to apply current planning rules, while opponents can appeal within 14 days.

TasmaniaAI datacentreplanning approvalcommunity opposition

TThe Guardian★★☆☆☆2026-08-26 15:00Original