AI Data Centres Tasmania

Under construction AI data centre

St Leonards, Launceston – Firmus “Launceston AI Factory”

• Address: 23 Killafaddy Road and part of 66–92 St Leonards Road, St Leonards TAS 7250
• 84 MW of critical IT load (Firmus), in two 42 MW data halls. Power supply is described as about 104 MW.
• Power comes under a 3-year Aurora Energy agreement for Hydro power, ramping up to a maximum of 104 MW from November 2026. The price hasn’t been disclosed.
• The first data hall was topped out in early October 2026.
• Opening has slipped from the first half of 2026 to early 2027, partly because Aboriginal relics were found on site and needed relocation approval.
• On 20 October 2026 Firmus told a state parliamentary committee that St Leonards is fully funded and contracted to a customer, which it didn’t name.
• TasNetworks says Firmus has met five of its six tests for a committed load at St Leonards; the outstanding one is a commitment to proceed. Because of uncertainty over data centre policy, TasNetworks hasn’t yet added the St Leonards load to its network planning assumptions (TasNetworks report, 16 October 2026).

Next: Go-live expected early 2027.

Sources: Firmus, Project Southgate page (undated); DCD, 7 Oct 2026; ABC News, 11 Oct 2026; ABC News, 25 Mar 2026; ABC News, 21 Oct 2026; The Examiner, 17 Mar 2026; PeeringDB, Firmus LST01 record (updated 27 Sep 2025); TasNetworks, 16 Oct 2026

Approved Under appeal AI data centre

Bell Bay / Long Reach (George Town) – Firmus AI Factory

• Address: Lot 1 East Tamar Highway, Long Reach (former Gunns pulp mill site)
• About 288 MW maximum demand, in two AI data halls, on the former Gunns pulp mill site in the Bell Bay Advanced Manufacturing Zone.
• George Town Council approved it 6–1 on 25 August 2026, after 349 submissions and a petition of about 6,000 signatures against it.
• Firmus has appealed to TASCAT against the condition limiting its 276 diesel generators to emergencies, testing and maintenance (reported 15 September 2026).
• On 7 October 2026 the EPA Board applied to join the appeal.
• A community group, the Environmental Awareness Association, is also appealing to TASCAT against George Town Council’s approval, on 12 grounds, including that the council wrongly classed the project as a “utility” (reported by The Examiner on 24 October 2026). No hearing date has been reported.
• Funding: Bell Bay isn’t yet fully funded. In a statement reported on 21 October 2026, Firmus said it is under option to a customer and will be funded in stages. At the 20 October 2026 committee hearing, Firmus said St Leonards and Wesley Vale stage one are fully funded. Pulse Tasmania reports that its other Tasmanian plans depend on raising capital.
• TasNetworks expects any Bell Bay load to cause voltage-stability issues around George Town, which would likely need extra reactive support. In the first instance, it says, Basslink exports would be constrained to keep the network compliant (TasNetworks report, 16 October 2026).
• Full operation depends on power: see the Hydro Tasmania decision below.

Next: Two TASCAT appeals (Firmus’s generator appeal and the community appeal). No hearing dates have been published.

Sources: ABC News, 25 Aug 2026; ABC News, 15 Sep 2026; ABC News, 10 Oct 2026; Firmus, Bell Bay project page (undated); ABC News, 21 Oct 2026; Pulse Tasmania, 23 Oct 2026; The Examiner, 24 Oct 2026; TasNetworks, George Town project assessment conclusions report, 16 Oct 2026; AEMO notice, 21 Oct 2026

Proposed Paused AI data centre

Wesley Vale (Latrobe) – Firmus AI Factory

• Address: 174 and 226 Mill Road, Wesley Vale
• Latrobe Council application 066/2026 was lodged by Pitt & Sherry and is listed by council as Pending. A separate R&D application, 125/2026, is listed below.
• 52 MW, on part of the former paper mill site at Mill Road, next to Wesley Vale substation. The plan includes 40 diesel backup generators.
• On 7 September 2026 Latrobe Council asked the Planning Minister to declare it a Major Project.
• Firmus has been asked for further information under the Major Projects process. The State Planning Office says the Minister has asked Firmus for a major project proposal by 15 December 2026, as the council’s referral didn’t include one. If the deadline is missed, the application is treated as withdrawn.
• On 25 September 2026 Latrobe Council issued a notice over excavation it believed went beyond the forest practices plan. Firmus paused work, and the investigation was ongoing as of 11 October 2026.
• On 20 October 2026 Firmus’s energy general manager told a state parliamentary committee that “Wesley Vale stage one is also fully funded”. A Firmus statement said stage one is contracted to a customer and has funding allocated, but is still awaiting development approval.

Next: 15 December 2026 information deadline.

Sources: The Urban Developer, 19 Oct 2026; The Advocate, 8 Sep 2026; Pulse Tasmania, 25 Sep 2026; The Advocate, 28 Sep 2026; ABC News, 11 Oct 2026; ABC News, 21 Oct 2026; Latrobe Council, 26 Oct 2026 meeting agenda (p. 152); Pulse Tasmania, 23 Oct 2026; State Planning Office, Wesley Vale Data Centre page (accessed 26 Oct 2026)

Approved Standard data centre

Burnie CBD – VIRIDIS Green Data Centres (VDC-2)

• Address: not published (described only as an Alexander St building in the Burnie CBD)
• About 1 MW Tier III edge data centre in an existing commercial building in the Burnie CBD, using its existing grid connection. Free-air cooling, so no water-consuming cooling plant.
• Burnie City Council granted an unconditional permit (reported April 2026).
• Target go-live is the first half of 2027.

Next: Construction and fit-out. A September 2026 Burnie chamber of commerce report mentions “October 2027” instead, so the timing may shift.

Sources: VIRIDIS, approval release (Apr 2026); DCD, 9 Apr 2026; Business Northwest president’s report, 15 Sep 2026; Campbell Newman (Arcana Capital), LinkedIn post (undated, accessed 22 Oct 2026)

Proposed Pending decision AI data centre

Wesley Vale (Latrobe) – Firmus R&D AI Factory

• Address: 226 Mill Road, Wesley Vale. This is an existing warehouse on the former paper mill land, next to the proposed 52 MW AI Factory.
• Latrobe Council application 125/2026 was lodged in September 2026 by consultants Pitt & Sherry. Council describes it as “Change of Use of existing building for proposed Research & Development Data Centre, Development of Minor Utilities external power supply structures”. Council lists it as Pending.
• Up to 26 MW of electricity demand, using existing capacity at the TasNetworks Wesley Vale substation on a non-firm basis. This means its power can be automatically reduced or disconnected to support the network.
• Firmus says the facility will test battery storage and the shifting of computing work to match available power. It will use about 224 kL of water a year for cooling and create about 20 permanent jobs. Firmus calls it a separate development that is part of the broader Wesley Vale development area.
• Firmus describes the first stage of the 52 MW AI Factory as “an initial connection at 26 MW, using existing industrial electrical infrastructure”.
• Council’s written answers say the application is a “separate, stand-alone development”, that “a research project/development does not exclude any commercial interest”, and that it will be referred to TasNetworks.
• Council’s proposed response for its 26 October 2026 meeting is that it will not refer the application to the Planning Minister as a Major Project. Council says it does not believe the application is “of a significant scale and complexity”. The proposed response also says the site will have “a minimal number of generators”, significantly fewer than the adjoining data centre.
• As at 22 October 2026, the application was not on council’s public exhibition page. Council has not published whether it is being assessed as a permitted or discretionary application.

Next: 26 October 2026 Latrobe Council meeting (5pm, livestreamed), where the proposed responses will be considered.

Sources: Latrobe Council, 26 Oct 2026 meeting agenda (pp. 33–35, 152); Firmus, Wesley Vale R&D AI Factory Q&As (undated); Firmus, Wesley Vale AI Factory project page (undated)

Proposed Feasibility AI data centre

North-west “Project B” – possibly near Nook (Kentish)

• Address: not disclosed
• On 21 October 2026, at a state parliamentary energy committee hearing, the acting Coordinator-General confirmed a 200–300 MW data centre proposal in the north-west, known as “Project B”, at feasibility stage.
• It was raised after a Greens MP said Nook residents near Sheffield had been cold-called about selling farmland next to the substation.
• The government says the proposal is still under consideration by the proponent and no final site has been confirmed. The company hasn’t been named.
• Kentish Council’s view: in its inquiry submission, the council says data centres are treated as a “Utilities” use, which is permitted in the Rural zone. So one that met all of the planning scheme’s acceptable solutions (its standard requirements) would be approved without public advertising, and the council could impose conditions only on matters covered by the scheme. It wants a specific use class for data centres and, until then, assessment as major projects by the Tasmanian Planning Commission. The submission makes a general point and doesn’t mention Project B or Nook.

Next: The question of who is behind it was taken on notice.

Sources: ABC News, 21 Oct 2026; Pulse Tasmania, 21 Oct 2026; Kentish Council, inquiry submission no. 102 (undated)

Confidential Proposed AI data centre

Six confidential proposals

• Address: not disclosed
• A government document tabled in September 2026 lists six data centre proposals, not from Firmus, totalling at least 500 MW (ABC) or up to 705 MW (The Advocate). The companies are kept confidential.
• They include Project B (above), a 200–300 MW concept at an undefined site, and a 50 MW concept that has expressed interest in the closed Liberty Bell Bay smelter site. Others are up to 50 MW.
• Many haven’t yet talked to generators or TasNetworks.

Next: Proponents and most sites remain confidential; we will add details as they are made public.

Sources: ABC News, 8 Sep 2026; The Advocate, 9 Sep 2026; Pulse Tasmania, 9 Sep 2026

Operating Standard data centre

42-24 Derwent Park and Cambridge

Location: Derwent Park and Cambridge, Greater Hobart
Capacity: Unknown (total capacity not publicly confirmed)

• Address (Derwent Park): 104 Gormanston Rd, Moonah TAS 7009 (PeeringDB gives the suburb as Moonah)
• Address (Cambridge): 67 Kennedy Dr, Cambridge TAS 7170
• Operator: 42-24, a subsidiary of TasNetworks. 42-24 says that, through TasNetworks, it owns and operates two data centres, at Derwent Park and Cambridge.
• Colocation (rented rack space). Racks take 3 kW to 21 kW each, backed by 650 kVA diesel generators. 42-24 describes them as carrier-neutral and Tasmanian Government–approved facilities.

Sources: 42-24, Co-locate page (undated, accessed 22 Oct 2026); 42-24, Data Centre page (undated, accessed 22 Oct 2026); PeeringDB, 42-24 Derwent Park record (updated 27 Sep 2025); PeeringDB, 42-24 Cambridge record (updated 27 Sep 2025)

Operating Standard data centre

Tasmania One (TAS01), formerly TasmaNet DC3

Location: Tasmanian Technopark, Dowsing Point, Greater Hobart
Capacity: Unknown in megawatts (around 35 racks, with potential for 100, per DCD)

• Address: 40–50 Innovation Drive, Dowsing Point TAS 7010
• Owner: DADT Pty Ltd, which bought the business from ASX-listed DXN with effect from 30 June 2026. DXN had bought it from TasmaNet in 2020. As at 1 July 2026, landlord consent for the transfer was still outstanding.
• The new owner intends to keep operating it. Customers include Tasmanian Government agencies (ARN).
• TasmaNet still markets “DC3” data centre services on its website.

Sources: ARN, 1 Jul 2026; DCD, 2 Jul 2026; TasmaNet, DC3 Data Centre page (undated, accessed 22 Oct 2026); PeeringDB, TAS01 Hobart record (updated 4 Sep 2026)

Operating Standard data centre

Vocus Hobart (formerly PIPE Networks Hobart)

Location: Elizabeth Street, Hobart CBD
Capacity: Unknown (not publicly confirmed)

• Address: Level 2, 29 Elizabeth St, Hobart TAS 7000
• Vocus lists Hobart among its colocation locations.
• The PeeringDB facility record lists “PIPE Networks Hobart” at Level 2, 29 Elizabeth St, under Vocus Group.

Sources: Vocus, colocation datasheet (12 Aug 2025); PeeringDB facility record (updated Sep 2025)

Operating Standard data centre

Tasmanian Colo

Location: Paterson Street, Launceston CBD
Capacity: Unknown (not publicly confirmed)

• Address: Level 1, 73 Paterson St, Launceston TAS 7250
• A colocation data centre offering rack space from a single rack unit to multiple racks.
• Its website says it has an independent UPS with automatic diesel generator backup, and that its power comes from 100% renewable sources (hydro and wind).

Sources: Tasmanian Colo website (undated, accessed 22 Oct 2026)