Press Pause on AI Data Centres

The Northern Territory Government is considering a proposal for a major AI data centre precinct at Weddell, with up to 2 gigawatts of gas-fired electricity generation and a large allocation of Territory land.

This is a huge amount of electricity, several times more than the Darwin-Katherine electricity network has ever needed at its peak. It could also require significant amounts of water and have major impacts on electricity prices, water security, emissions and land use.

But we don’t know what the real costs would be. There has been no public inquiry into what a large AI data centre industry could mean for Territorians, and the Government has made commitments to the project before the full environmental, infrastructure and community impacts have been assessed.

We’re calling on the Northern Territory Government to implement a moratorium on all AI data centres until a public inquiry under the Inquiries Act 1945 has properly assessed their impacts on electricity prices, water security, emissions and land use.