GRAINGROWERS URGES SAFEGUARDS IN AI INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING

By Jessica Dempster

GrainGrowers has welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the Federal Government's consultation on artificial intelligence infrastructure, with its submission calling for stronger protections for agricultural land and regional communities.

The organisation says data centre developments must account for their impacts on food production, water resources and local economies, alongside their energy and infrastructure requirements.

Its recommendations include mandatory public reporting of energy and water use and emissions, as well as assessments of the cumulative impacts of associated power generation, transmission and telecommunications infrastructure.

GrainGrowers is calling for a national code of conduct covering community consultation, transparency and accountability, including access to independent advice for affected landholders.

The organisation says it wants data centres directed towards existing industrial precincts, brownfield sites and land with limited agricultural value, with productive farmland recognised as a strategic national asset in planning decisions.