The Australian Government has announced a public consultation on proposed requirements for large data centres and conditions for AI training in Australia, opening at 6 am Australian Eastern Standard Time on 18 September 2026 and closing at 5 pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time on 9 October. The consultation covers energy use and renewable-energy requirements, sustainable water use, community engagement, project locations, infrastructure and community impacts, workforce skills and training, and thresholds for applying requirements to different types of data centres. Responses will be considered alongside targeted stakeholder engagement and work with Commonwealth, state, and territory governments. The resulting AI standards are intended to establish mandatory minimum requirements for large data centres while preserving state and territory responsibilities.
The consultation represents a formal step toward nationally consistent, mandatory standards for large data centres in Australia, covering energy, water, and community impact requirements that would directly affect facility siting and operations. The government's explicit consideration of differentiated thresholds means the eventual framework could impose varying obligations across facility types, creating regulatory uncertainty for investors planning new AI infrastructure in the country.
Australia initiating a formal government consultation on AI infrastructure and large data centres signals a significant national-level policy process that could shape investment, permitting, and operational rules across the Asia-Pacific region.