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Right now, the Luxon Government has no plan for deciding which data centres are in the public interest, where they should go, what rules they should follow, or who should pay the price for their development and resource use.  

That’s why the Green Party is calling for a one-year pause on the construction of new AI data centres, so we have time to develop clear rules to make sure that the needs of people and planet are put first. 

If we’re going to allow these data centres to go ahead, the rules should at the very least include requirements for AI data centres to: 

  • produce additional renewable energy to meet their power needs; 

  • follow strict limits on water use; 

  • pay the full cost of the infrastructure they need. 
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AI data centres are being proposed in Aotearoa New Zealand without rules to protect our communities, water, energy system, or climate. These facilities can use huge amounts of power and water, while offering little clear benefit to New Zealanders. 

The recently consented Datagrid hyperscale data centre in Southland is an example of how much pressure AI data centres can put on our resources. It is expected to use about 6% of our total electricity supply, which is as much as all our wind generation, and more than the power used by 300,000 households. It’s been given permission to take up to 600,000 litres of groundwater a day, or 220 million litres a year. 

With data centre electricity demand growing by around 1,500% between 2017 and 2024, New Zealand needs proper regulation before any more AI data centres are consented or built.   

Without proper safeguards, everyday New Zealanders could end up paying the price for AI data centres whilst overseas companies take the profits. At a time when many people are already facing high power bills and increasing energy hardship, it is not acceptable to proceed with the unregulated development of such resource-intensive infrastructure. 

Sign our petition today to join the Green Party's call for the Government to put a one-year pause on the development of new AI data centres and develop rules to ensure our environment and communities aren’t left to pay the price.