NSW government offers fast-track scheme for data centres that comply with new guidelines

A new government initiative incentivises data centre builders to comply with freshly set guidelines if they want to fast-track their developments.

Builders will have to meet environmental and efficiency standards, impose no net cost to consumers and fund additional supply of water and energy. They will also have to enhance local community infrastructure, invest in “future industries” and commit to skills training and support jobs. In return the state government promises to assess their applications within 75 days.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said the government had been working on the framework for more than a year, and under the new framework data centre builders would foot the bill for new clean energy, sparing Australian taxpayers.

Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Energy Penny Sharpe said applications would be “held to the highest possible standards in our environmental protections system”.

But there are still backlashes aimed at the subject, such as a group of students and community organisers protesting the increase of data centres around Western Sydney on Sunday. A local community organiser spoke at the protest by calling for a moratorium on new AI data centre builds, until the community is consulted and has a better understanding of the impacts of living next to these data centres.