Well roll out the red carpet. Because that's what the Southland District Council, Environment Southland and Invercargill City Council have done. They've all approved a 78,000sqm AI data centre to be built at Makarewa, north of Invercargill.

"Once operational, it would consume 280MW of power, making it New Zealand’s second-largest electricity user after the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter."

For comparison, Tiwai Point uses 570MW and pays a mere 3.5c per kWh. There's no mention of how cheaply the AI-slop factory will get its electricity, but you can bet it's way less than consumers pay.

I wish that AI bubble would just get on with it and burst.

https://www.odt.co.nz/southland/ai-factory-rival-smelter-power-use

#NZ #AI #DataCentre #Invercargill

We watched Sir Tim Shadbolt's funeral today, live streamed from the Civic Theatre in Invercargill
I don't (thankfully) go to many funerals, but this was one that will be remembered. A truly honest testimony by his family, friends and colleagues he had over his momentous lifetime.
Invercargill has lost one of their greatest champions.

RNZ goes someway in their article, but it had to be witnessed.
#invercargill
#TimShadbolt

Mourners gather to remember Sir Tim Shadbolt at funeral https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/584188/mourners-gather-to-remember-sir-tim-shadbolt-at-funeral

Tim Shadbolt has gone to the big concrete mixer in the sky.

Even though he became a bit of a cooker towards the end, Tim certainly had a colourful life including multiple mayoralties and standing for two very different political parties.

He was certainly a character.

https://www.odt.co.nz/southland/sir-tim-shadbolt-dies

#TimShadbolt #NZ #Invercargill