Australia data centre inquiry finds inadequate checks, stops short of moratorium

An inquiry into data centres by Australia’s most populous state found approvals failed to consider the cumulative effect on resources and infrastructure but stopped short of calling for a moratorium, prompting a blistering rebuke from its chair.

The report by the New South Wales cross-party inquiry reflects a growing tension facing lawmakers globally as they navigate an AI-led buildout that McKinsey estimates will be worth $7 trillion by 2030: they want to benefit from the boom but communities are putting up increasingly robust resistance.