Data centre opposition is growing in Australia. Is there a middle ground?

AI Summary

Opposition to data centre development is growing in Australia, where communities have raised concerns about electricity and water use and noise. Goodman Group withdrew its application for a 90-megawatt facility in Lane Cove after months of resident opposition, highlighting tensions between AI infrastructure growth and local impacts.

Australia may have vast tracts of land and political will to support the growth of the artificial intelligence industry, but the development of data centres to power the technology is proving more challenging. Last month, property developer Goodman Group withdrew its application for a 90-megawatt data centre in Lane Cove, on Sydney’s lower north shore, after months of opposition from residents about the potential impact on their electricity and water supplies, noise pollution and other...