● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportMedium impact1 negative
Mega Datacentre Proposed for Outer Melbourne Faces Community Opposition
Key points
- Syncline Energy proposes a 350-hectare datacentre in Plumpton, Melbourne.
- The facility would be Australia's largest, with a 2.4GW capacity.
- It would consume more power than Victoria's Loy Yang A power station.
- Community opposition focuses on environmental impact and resource consumption.
Proposed Datacentre in Plumpton
Syncline Energy is planning a large datacentre, dubbed the "Victorian AI hub," in Plumpton, approximately 30km north-west of Melbourne's CBD. The proposed site spans 350 hectares, with 140 hectares designated for four datacentre buildings. This facility is projected to have a maximum capacity of 2.4GW, making it larger than any existing datacentre in Australia.
Scale and Resource Consumption
The planned datacentre's scale is significant; its electricity consumption would exceed that of Victoria's largest power station, Loy Yang A. The 140-hectare operational area is nearly six times the size of Chadstone shopping centre. Construction is not expected to begin for at least two years, pending planning and environmental approvals.
Community Concerns and Opposition
Residents in the Plumpton area have expressed alarm regarding the project's size and potential impacts. Concerns include environmental effects, high electricity and water usage, and the broader implications of increased AI infrastructure. A petition has been initiated, urging the state government to conduct a thorough assessment of the proposed hub's environmental, cultural, social, and infrastructure implications, as well as the cumulative effects of other new datacentre developments.
Broader Trend of Datacentre Expansion
This project reflects a wider trend of datacentre construction across Australia. A report from Data Centres Australia indicated that Victoria currently has 30 operational datacentres, with an additional 30 in various stages of development. The community's reaction to the Plumpton proposal highlights growing discomfort with the rapid expansion of datacentre infrastructure.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
Syncline Energy plans to build a 350-hectare "Victorian AI hub" datacentre in Plumpton, outside Melbourne, which would be Australia's largest and consume more electricity than Victoria's largest power station. Local residents are raising concerns about environmental impact, electricity and water usage, and the scale of the development, leading to a petition for comprehensive assessment.