Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said a meeting of national cabinet reached “a common position” over how data centres would be powered, settling on a “flexible” approach that would allow Queensland and the Northern Territory to tap coal and gas rather than renewables.
While specifics of what was agreed were not immediately clear after Wednesday’s gathering of leaders in Sydney, Albanese and his Queensland counterpart, David Crisafulli, appeared to be in accord, contrary to their positions ahead of the meeting.
“We want to make sure … that the principles are very clear – the Commonwealth will legislate and we have the power under the corporations power to do so,” Albanese told a media conference. “I’m very confident that we will move forward with every single jurisdiction.”
While the federal government did not want “eight different systems operating around the country” when it came to attracting data centre investment, the leaders “recognised all states aren’t exactly the same”, he said.
“And that was accommodated in the way that we normally do, in a flexible way, and that will enable us to move forward,” Albanese said. He expected draft legislation would be ready by the end of the year with an aim for it to be passed in the federal parliament early in 2027.
