00:05Outside the Georgetown Council Office, around 80 people made their views about a proposal
00:11to build an AI data centre at Bell Bay clear.
00:15I think that it's going to obviously drain our power.
00:18We don't have enough independent reports about what the effects are going to be on the biodiversity,
00:23the nature, flora, fauna.
00:25It's the energy security that worries me the most.
00:29But inside, councillors voted 6 to 1 to approve the development application from Firmus Technologies with conditions.
00:38The council has had a very, very good look at this detailed application
00:42and we can't see any other grounds to do anything more than to approve it in terms of the local
00:47planning scheme,
00:47which is what we've done today.
00:49Some residents and councillors wanted the state government to decide the data centre's fate.
00:54My personal view, however, is that it probably would have been worthwhile considering this as a project of state significance,
01:03I beg your pardon, given its contentious nature.
01:07But a state government spokesperson says that wouldn't have been appropriate for this proposal.
01:12Firmus has called the approval an important milestone and says a detailed design will now be finalised.
01:19The data centre approved today is one of three proposed by Firmus across the state,
01:25with another one currently under construction outside Launceston,
01:29and a development application submitted for another in the state's north-west.
01:34Opponents of the development were gutted by the council's decision.
01:37They're meant to protect people like me, and they had every right to say no and push that to become
01:45a major project,
01:46and they didn't. They chose to say yes.
01:49But they say their fight isn't over yet.
01:52Well obviously we'll appeal it and take it as far as we can.
01:56They have 14 days to lodge an appeal.
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