The NSW government will speed up approvals for new datacentres. Plans can get assessed in just 75 days if they meet tough standards. The standards cover energy use, water use, and environmental impact. Datacentres are large buildings full of computer servers. They store and process huge amounts of digital information. Investment in NSW datacentres has grown 75 percent every year for three years. Economists say this growth helped NSW avoid a recession.
Under the new rules, datacentre builders must follow six main principles. They must use world-class environmental standards. They cannot add costs for consumers or communities. They must fund extra water and energy supply. They must also invest in training local workers. The government will pass laws so datacentres pay for electricity network upgrades. This stops households and small businesses from paying extra bills. Companies like CDC, AirTrunk, and Data Centres Australia already support the framework.
Treasurer Daniel Mookhey says the framework gives certainty to investors and communities. He says NSW is a premium destination, so the bar must stay high. The government is moving its AI office into the cabinet office. This comes after the opposition promised to appoint an AI minister if elected. The Greens want a temporary stop on new datacentre projects. They say the industry needs stronger controls on land, water, and power use.
Sources: theguardian.com
The words in bold are from the article.
| 1. speed up | a. guidelines |
| 2. tough | b. accelerate |
| 3. investment | c. brief |
| 4. avoid | d. rigorous |
| 5. principles | e. regulations |
| 6. support | f. top-tier |
| 7. certainty | g. back |
| 8. premium | h. confidence |
| 9. controls | i. capital |
| 10. temporary | j. prevent |
1.b 2.d 3.i 4.j 5.a 6.g 7.h 8.f 9.e 10.c