The Conservation Council ACT Region has today called for an immediate moratorium on new and expanded data centre developments in the ACT, warning that the ACT Government is rolling out the red carpet for big tech companies without properly considering the impacts on Canberra’s environment and community.
The Conservation Council has released a discussion paper, Data Centre Development in the ACT, which sets out the key environmental risks and supports the development of a strong regulatory framework for data centres in the ACT.
“Data centre development proposals should not be assessed or approved in the ACT before there are strong legal standards in place at both the ACT and Commonwealth levels,” said Executive Director Dr Simon Copland.
“The Chief Minister is advertising Canberra as a ‘best-in-class location’ for data centres, while saying that there is no need to pause development because the ACT’s forthcoming standards will likely meet or exceed proposed national rules.”
“This is an empty promise that risks harming our environment and community. The Government is promising protections that don’t exist yet, while data centres continue to be approved without any environmental safeguards.”
“Data centres pose enormous risks to our environment, health and wellbeing. In the face of the climate crisis, the Government must not approve energy intensive, water intensive data centre developments without the proper rules to regulate them.”
The ACT Government’s own 2025 water security assessment projects that, on average, under climate change and population growth scenarios the region’s water flows could fall by 30 to 45 per cent under climate change scenarios, with temporary water restrictions costing the ACT economy up to $300 million per year under the most extreme scenario.
“The Government’s own projections show our local water supply is already under threat from climate change. Building water-hungry data centres will only exacerbate these problems and leave Canberrans worse-off.”
The paper also highlights potential pressure on the ACT’s electricity network. Canberra Data Centre’s (CDC) Beard data centre, still under development, will draw 40 MW, more than 5 per cent of the ACT’s record peak demand. CDC’s proposed Beard 2 would add another 84 MW.
“Data centres must provide their own additional renewable energy, so as not to impact the security and reliability of the ACT’s 100% renewable energy supply.”
The Conservation Council is calling on the ACT Government to:
- Establish a moratorium on new and expanded data centres until a strong regulatory framework is in place
- Require data centres to supply their own additional renewable energy
- Set strict water limits, ban development where no secure water supply exists, and mandate closed-loop cooling systems
- Exclude data centres from ecologically sensitive greenfield sites
- Set strong standards for e-waste management
- Undertake early and genuine community engagement