Australia is becoming a data centre capital - but at what cost?

Australia is rapidly positioning itself as a global data-centre hub, driven by clean energy availability, natural gas reserves and available land. The country has 162 data centres and plans for 90 more, with an estimated A$155bn (£80bn) in investment lined up. If approved, a one-gigawatt facility in western Sydney would be Australia’s largest single energy user, while the biggest centre in the Southern Hemisphere is already under construction in Marsden Park, about 100 metres from a nearby community. The push follows AI acceleration after ChatGPT launched in 2022, increasing demand for low-latency infrastructure. The concerns raised by residents focus on water, energy use and environmental impact.