Dalby residents are seeking a public meeting about the proposed Western Downs Digital Park, a data centre project valued at $32 billion in fresh ABC reporting. Anthropic has signed a lease for the development, which remains subject to planning and regulatory approvals.
Dalby antiques dealer Ross Thornton told the ABC residents wanted more information about the proposal. “People don't know enough about it,” he said. Having experienced the town's coal seam gas expansion, Thornton said he wanted the project's advantages and disadvantages explained and was concerned about another boom-bust cycle.
The Queensland government is developing a planning framework that would make the state the responsible assessor and coordinator of data centre applications instead of local councils, according to the ABC. It said many councils did not include data centres in their planning schemes and a statewide approach would provide consistency. The framework had not yet been released.
“Any deals done must be with the backing of councils and communities,” the government said in the statement reported by the ABC. Separately, a Queensland parliamentary petition opposing the Western Downs project has attracted more than 21,000 signatures. It calls for steps to prevent the development proceeding at its proposed location.
The petition lists concerns about noise, water requirements, traffic and road impacts, agricultural land, electricity and other infrastructure. In its published project information, developer and proposed operator Zerra DC describes a staged precinct with up to four data centre buildings and associated energy infrastructure.
Zerra says the facility would use air-cooled heat rejection rather than water-consuming evaporative cooling. Its proposed operational water strategy relies primarily on captured rainwater and on-site recycling, with no connection to the town-water network proposed. The developer retains groundwater only as a last-resort contingency requiring further investigation, entitlements and approvals.
The project website estimates approximately 1,500 direct on-site construction jobs each year on average during construction and approximately 1,400 direct operational roles at full capacity. It says the estimates come from an independent Urbis economic assessment, assume delivery of the full development and depend on phasing, timing, occupancy and operating requirements.
Local views include both interest in that investment and questions about how it would work. Dalby businessman Doug Machin told the ABC he welcomed development but was concerned about finding enough workers for the proposed construction workforce, given difficulties already experienced by businesses and farmers.
The Guardian's separate reporting quoted Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise chief executive Jo Sheppard describing the proposal as “a once in a generation opportunity”. She said most residents had not made up their minds and maintaining the developer's social licence was important.
Zerra says a development application has been lodged with Western Downs Regional Council and that a public notification period will allow submissions. It says notification details and project updates will be published on its website as assessment progresses.