Stop the Spread of Data Centres in the ACT!

Sign the petition to call for a moratorium NOW

The ACT Government is rolling out the red carpet for big tech companies to build new data centres in Canberra.

Already, the Territory is home to over 29 operational data centres – using up our precious water resources, putting strain on our energy supply, and producing enormous amounts of waste heat and noise pollution.

And right now, the Government is rushing through data centre approvals without any proper rules to protect Canberrans and our environment from harm. The Government’s ‘Data Centre Framework’ is still many months away from release.

The Chief Minister wants Canberra to be a ‘leading location’ for data centre development.

We say NO.

We know that water hungry, energy intensive data centres will have irreversible impacts on our local environment.

Our iconic Gang-gang cockatoos, mighty Murrumbidgee River, and rare Grassland Earless Dragon – will bear the costs of poor planning decisions when it comes to data centres.

Canberrans deserve better from our Government. We urgently need strong new rules that will avoid and protect us from the harm that can be caused by data centres.

That’s why we are calling for an immediate moratorium on new and expanded data centre developments in the ACT.

Now is the time to stand up to big tech businesses and tell our Government to take a precautionary approach to data centre development and implement strong regulations.

Sign our petition to the ACT Legislative Assembly to call for an immediate moratorium on new and expanded data centre developments in the ACT.

Read more about the threats data centres pose in the ACT here.

Sign the Petition

To the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory,

This petition draws to the attention of the Assembly that, to prevent significant environmental and community impacts from data centre development, the ACT Government should establish a moratorium on all new and expanded data centre developments in the ACT, until a strong new regulatory framework is legislated at the ACT and Commonwealth levels.

Your petitioners therefore request the Assembly to set an immediate moratorium on new and expanded data centre developments in the ACT, and to legislate a new regulatory framework to protect our environment from harm.

This regulatory framework must require, at a minimum:

  1. Data centres to be fully powered by their own, additional renewable energy supply
  2. Hard limits on potable water use and prohibiting data centre construction where no secure water supply exists
  3. Use of the most water efficient technologies
  4. Transparent reporting of water and energy use
  5. The exclusion of development on ecologically sensitive greenfield sites
  6. Standards for responsible management, reuse and recycling of e-waste

 

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Current number of signatures: 30