Jul 27, 2026 | Posted by Abdul-Rahman Oladimeji
New Zealand’s Green Party has called for a one-year moratorium on new AI data centre developments. The opposition party, which holds 15 seats in Parliament, said the pause would allow time to develop regulations and ensure data centres benefit New Zealanders without placing pressure on natural resources and communities. Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said the review would help determine who benefits from new developments and how environmental impacts can be managed.
"Some may argue these AI data centers could build their own renewable energy, or that they’re increasingly using closed-loop water cooling systems. That may well be the case, but our current rules don’t require any of those things. New Zealanders haven’t even had the opportunity to discuss and decide whether they want them."
Swarbrick raised concerns over Datagrid’s 280MW hyperscale AI data centre in Southland, saying it could use around 6% of New Zealand’s electricity supply. She said the proposed one-year moratorium would allow time for public input and regulations, adding it was a pause on resource-intensive projects rather than a ban on data infrastructure.
