Victorian Councils Say They’re Sidelined by Data Centre Approvals, Call for Moratorium
Local governments said developers are using the state’s Development Facilitation Program to bypass council assessment altogether.
TL;DR
- Local government bodies in Melbourne's west and north are calling for a moratorium on new AI data centre approvals.
- Councils claim the state government's planning system enables developers to bypass local council assessments.
- Melton, Brimbank, Hume, and Maribyrnong city councils submitted evidence to a Senate inquiry requesting a pause.
- The Western Alliance for Greenhouse Action, representing seven councils, supports the moratorium call.
- Hume Mayor Carly Moore noted unanimous council support for the motion and strong, unifying community sentiment.