A $15 billion Australian data center project faces community opposition over power consumption equivalent to supplying 1 million homes.

When residents of Wagga Wagga learnt that one of Australia's largest data centres was proposed for a site just outside their NSW city, they had urgent questions. Resident Liz Warrell's foremost concern was simple: how would it benefit her community? "It's a big box; it sits there," she said. "I don't know if it generates employment, I know it's using resources and I know it's creating emissions. So what effect is that having on us as a community as our climate dries?"

CDC Data Centres is proposing to build a $15 billion campus on a 100-hectare council-owned site next to Wagga Wagga's landfill. If approved, the 1.4-gigawatt facility is expected to consume more electricity each year than a million typical NSW homes.

Opposition to the proposal has been vocal. Just 4 kilometres from the site, resident Eden Summers expressed deep concern that her peaceful rural lifestyle is at risk. "Government likes to take action on big business projects without actually thinking of the locals," she said. Summers highlighted a core grievance: the land is currently zoned for primary production use, but CDC proposes to change the zoning. "We have restrictions on what we can do on our land, but then when it comes to big business, everything changes; there's just no consistency," she said. "People feel backstabbed." A petition started by Summers to halt the development has attracted more than 1,000 signatures and states that locals "should not have to sacrifice our rural community for a data centre". "If it was on land designated for this sort of project, opposition wouldn't be as strong," Summers said. "But the land we are on, and the environment, is not appropriate."

However, not all residents oppose the proposal. Katrina Walker thinks the site, 15 kilometres from the city's centre, makes sense. "If it's out at Gregadoo, that's a fair way out, so I think it'd be OK," she said. Advocacy group Committee 4 Wagga has cautiously welcomed the proposal, having previously campaigned for more industry in Wagga. Co-chair Richard Pottie said support would depend on the details. "We can't take on the 'not in our backyard' philosophy," he said. "If there are lots of cons, we need to address it; if there are lots of pros, we need to endorse the project and make the most of it."

Community consultation sessions are scheduled for Wagga this week. Once the state government releases its State Environmental Assessment Requirements for the project, CDC will have two years to submit an Environmental Impact Statement, which must include full details of the data centre's electricity infrastructure needs, noise and vibration assessments, and a water management plan.

CDC has provided some initial figures on resource use. For the initial fill, the company estimates 1.28 million litres of water—equivalent to the consumption of seven households—will be needed. "CDC typically undertakes this from rainwater collected onsite, with a backup from water trucks or, depending on local conditions, town water," a CDC spokesperson said. On an ongoing basis, the first stage is expected to consume as much water as a typical office building. "We estimate our annual water consumption to be approximately 1,512,000 litres per year. The town water usage is estimated to be equivalent of a little less than nine Australian households."

Once completed, the 1.4-gigawatt campus is expected to run at between 40 and 60 per cent of its maximum capacity, depending on customer needs. CDC estimates this would equate to 5–7 terawatt-hours annually, equivalent to the annual consumption of between 1 and 1.5 million NSW homes, according to household usage data from the Australian Energy Regulator. CDC's website states the project "could bring hundreds of new jobs during construction and ongoing skilled employment opportunities once operational".

Independent Member for Wagga Wagga Joe McGirr has called for genuine community engagement, citing lessons learnt during the state's renewable energy rollout. "You can't take the community for granted," he said. "You don't just come and pretend there's no one here. You've got to genuinely engage with the community, you've got to address community concerns, and you've got to make sure communities get benefits." McGirr said he has spoken with CDC and toured one of the company's Sydney data centres. "It was quite impressive from a safety and water point of view," he said. "The technology doesn't use a lot of water; they recirculate all the water. It's an Australian technology, built, as I understand, for our conditions."

The Wagga Business Chamber has echoed the importance of community consultation. "We want to make sure that they're not just ticking a box," business manager Sally Manning said. Meanwhile, Eden Summers remains resolute in her opposition, acknowledging that approval could take years but determined to continue the fight. "We're surrounded by people that want to fight," she said.