Over 1,000 residents oppose A$15bn data centre planned near Wagga Wagga

A proposed A$15 billion data-centre campus near Wagga Wagga in New South Wales has sparked a debate over the future of regional development, with residents raising concerns about agricultural land, energy demand and environmental impacts. Reporting by ABC Riverina and The Daily Telegraph, alongside details in the project’s planning documents, highlights a growing divide between those concerned about the development and those who see it as a major economic opportunity. CDC Data Centres is exploring plans for a 1.4-gigawatt facility on approximately 100 hectares of council-owned land at Gregadoo, around 15 kilometres from central Wagga Wagga. The proposed campus would comprise four large, single-storey buildings designed to operate around the clock.The scale of the project has drawn particular attention. Its proposed infrastructure includes 384 backup diesel generators, diesel storage estimated at 6,400 tonnes, large-scale batteries and substantial electricity connections. If built, the campus would represent a significant addition to Australia’s expanding data-centre industry, which is being driven in part by growing demand for cloud computing and artificial intelligence. More than ...