{"id":554450,"date":"2026-09-28T09:11:49","date_gmt":"2026-09-27T23:11:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=554450"},"modified":"2026-09-28T09:12:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-27T23:12:19","slug":"firmus-starts-development-work-at-wesley-vale-without-permit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=554450","title":{"rendered":"Firmus starts development work at Wesley Vale without permit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

AI infrastructure company Firmus Technologies appears to have conducted illegal work at its site in north-west Tasmania, a local council says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firmus submitted a development application to build a 52-megawatt AI data centre in Wesley Vale at the old paper mill site, but Latrobe Council has deferred making a decision \u2014 instead asking the Tasmanian government to assess it as a major project.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But now, it seems Firmus has begun work without a permit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We’re concerned that some of the works may be occurring beyond the scope of the approved forest practices plan for the site,” Latrobe Mayor Peter Freshney said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“If it’s outside of that then there’ll be a stop work issued,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said Firmus had agreed to cease work while council conducted further assessments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“We’re seeking to understand and confirm whether or not that work is illegal,” he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Cr Freshney said the approved forest practices plan allowed activities such as tree felling, stump removal, mulching and weed suppression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What we’re seeing now though, I would suggest, is excavation to an extent that is not within the approved plan,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Latrobe Council has not yet made a decision on the development. (Supplied: Erin Woodcock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Cr Freshney said there were transportable buildings, piles of dirt and blue metal on site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a statement, a Firmus spokesperson said the works were part of general site maintenance, separate from the development application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“These activities do not require planning approval and will take approximately four weeks to complete,” the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“No main works associated with the broader projects will commence until all required approvals are in place.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Firmus spokesperson said the works were part of general site maintenance, separate from the development application.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90574,"featured_media":554451,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,12785],"tags":[21027,942,21213],"class_list":["post-554450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-data-centre","tag-firmus","tag-tasmania","tag-wesley-vale"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t