Firmus AI data centre gets tick from planners ahead of council vote

Council planners have recommended a controversial proposed artificial intelligence data centre in Tasmania's north be approved.

George Town Council will vote on Tuesday whether to approve Firmus Technologies's proposed 288-megawatt facility at Long Reach, at the old pulp mill site, in the Bell Bay Advanced Manufacturing Zone.

The planning application attracted 349 submissions from the public, while an electronic petition containing more than 5,000 signatures called on the council to reject it.

The council had extended the period where the public could make submissions, after complaints from nearby residents about a lack of community consultation.

The submissions detailed concerns including water and energy use; noise, air and light pollution; bushfire risk and environmental impact.

Council's planning officers responded to each of the concerns in the upcoming council meeting's published agenda, stating some of them were not factors regulated by the Tasmanian Planning Scheme.

"While many representations raise broader issues relating to energy policy, artificial intelligence, national security and Commonwealth regulation, these matters are either addressed through separate statutory frameworks or fall outside the scope of the planning authority's role in determining the application," they stated.

They recommended council approve the development, with conditions.

Firmus is currently building a 104-megawatt AI data centre in the Launceston suburb of St Leonards, which is slated to begin operating early next year.

It has also submitted a development application for a 52-megawatt AI data centre in Wesley Vale, in the state's north-west.

The company is set to become the state's biggest power user if the three sites go ahead.

Project is 'wholly compliant' with planning scheme

George Town Mayor Greg Kieser said council's decision-making role was limited to whether the development was compliant with the planning scheme.

"We have one decision to make: whether an application is consistent and compliant with the planning code — that's it," he told 936 ABC Hobart.

"I know there's a lot of interest on this topic, but policy is just purely not our remit."

He said the council's planning officers had assessed the development application according to the planning scheme.

"It would appear that they think that it is wholly compliant and as such their recommendation is to approve it," he said.

He said the public was welcome to attend Tuesday's council meeting, but warned "it can be a pretty dry affair".

Conditions attached to approval

The planning officers recommended the development's approval come with a number of conditions.

One was to update the bushfire plan and emergency management strategy, after Firmus incorrectly reported the number of diesel generators it planned to have on site.

Officers also detailed conditions for the 276 backup diesel generators, which they said should only be operated during a failure or interruption of the mains electricity supply; for inspection, testing or maintenance; or in response to a genuine emergency. 

Planning officers also said the simultaneous operation of more than one generator must not exceed a cumulative total of 24 hours in any given year.

They also recommended an updated noise emissions assessment — which "demonstrates that the operation of the development will comply with the noise criteria" — and for Firmus to undertake a noise verification survey within 60 days of commencing operation.

Furthermore, they said Firmus should keep a public complaints register, with records to be provided to the council's environmental health officer on request.