In this episode, Technology Partner Tom Maasland and Senior Associate Jess Bremner, discuss the opportunities and challenges in New Zealand’s fast-growing data centre infrastructure sector.
[01:34] Tom and Jess consider why global investors are looking beyond traditional data centre markets and how New Zealand’s abundant renewable energy, natural cooling, and land availability are making it a prime destination for sustainable, large-scale data centre developments.
[03:16] Jess discusses the scale of power demands of modern data centres, comparing it to household energy use and highlighting why access to reliable, clean power is the biggest constraint on global growth. She outlines how New Zealand’s energy mix offers a unique advantage in meeting these demands sustainably.
[05:23] Tom discusses New Zealand’s strong domestic and international latency and connectivity, highlighting the role of submarine cables like the Southern Cross, Hawaiki and proposed Southern Cross Next and Tasman Ring Cables. He and Jess then consider the need for increased fibre backhaul investment to unlock regional opportunities in areas like Otago and Southland.
[07:17] They examine how New Zealand’s robust data protection and sovereignty frameworks, under the Privacy Act 2020 and supported by its GDPR adequacy status, help build trust with global clients seeking secure hosting locations.
[08:17] Tom and Jess consider the economic impacts of data centre growth, from foreign investment and hyperscaler activity to job creation, skills development, and uplift across sectors such as AI, gaming, medtech, and fintech, driven by improved local hosting capacity.
[12:08] They go on to discuss what’s needed for New Zealand to compete on the global stage while effectively managing the risks, including infrastructure upgrades, workforce strategies, streamlined regulation, incentives to attract hyperscalers, and a coordinated national approach to position New Zealand as a leader in sustainable digital infrastructure.
[15:34] Lastly, Jess explores how proposed regulatory changes to the Resource Management Act 1991 and the Overseas Investment Act 2005 could influence the pace and appeal of future data centre development, with Tom highlighting how this aligns with the Government 'open for business' agenda for New Zealand.
Information in this episode is accurate as at the date of recording, 1 August 2025.
Please contact Tom Maasland, Jess Bremner or our Technology team if you need legal advice and guidance on any of the topics discussed in the episode.
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Additional resources
Unlocking the potential: New Zealand’s data centre industry
South Island eyes AI gold rush with billions in data centre potential | The Press
