‘Falls well short’: Data centre operators cool on Labor's AI plan amid water, energy concerns
The Albanese government's new national AI plan has been welcomed by local data centre operators but questions over mounting grid, water and regulatory bottlenecks remain.
Data centre developers have welcomed the federal government’s national AI plan but warn more needs to be done to alleviate energy and water resource bottlenecks for Australia to capitalise on the boom in the technology.
Co-founder of Sydney-based, Nasdaq-listed IREN, Daniel Roberts, said the plan represents a “welcome first step” but “falls well short of what’s required to unlock Australia’s full potential in next-generation digital infrastructure.”
“The plan recognises the opportunity, but it does not tackle the actual bottlenecks, i.e. slow grid-connection approvals, complex permitting processes, unclear regulatory pathways and an investment environment weighed down by red tape,” Roberts told Capital Brief.
“Other markets, like Texas, understand they are competing globally and focus on clearing obstacles to business. In contrast, Australian governments and regulators often behave as though they operate a monopoly.
