Councils Push for Moratorium on AI Data Centre Approvals in Melbourne's West

Local government bodies in Melbourne's west and north, including Maribyrnong, Hume, Melton, Brimbank, and Maribyrnong city councils, have petitioned a Senate inquiry regarding artificial intelligence and data centres. The councils stated they want a moratorium on new AI data centre approvals because the state government's planning system increasingly allows developers to bypass local council assessment altogether. Hume council successfully passed a unanimous moratorium motion in August, though the council has received no formal reply to its requests.

The dispute centers on the tension between state-level planning mechanisms and the diminishing role of local councils in major development approvals. The councils argue that state government bodies are accelerating major projects, which reduces the control local government bodies have over developments in their communities.