The concept model of a large-scale data centre project that has been proposed for the Western Downs. (Supplied: Urbis)
A $31.9 billion data centre project has been proposed for regional Queensland, amid national conversations around water and energy consumption.
The federal government is set to lay out new rules for how data centres use energy at national cabinet this week, with Queensland opposing the suggested laws.
With the energy demands of artificial intelligence prompting broader policy debates across Australia, regional Queensland is now facing the reality of hyper-scale expansion with a $31.9 billion data centre being proposed for the Western Downs.
The Western Downs Digital Park, set to be the largest facility of its kind in Australia, has been earmarked for a 725.5-hectare plot near Dalby, roughly 250 kilometres north-west of Brisbane.
The company behind the project is Singapore-based developer Zerra DC, which operates hyper-scale data centres across the Asia Pacific.
A coal seam gas well near Wambo Feedlot, on the Western Downs. (ABC Southern Queensland: Nathan Morris)
The site, 37km north-west of Dalby, is currently home to a 24,000-head feedlot owned by Wambo Cattle Company.
Although this proposed data centre is strategically located near major regional power stations, there are ongoing concerns across the country about energy consumption and water security as the development and construction of data centres surges.
A map showing the proposed site of the Western Downs Digital Park and surrounding energy sources. (Supplied: Urbis)
The federal government is currently refining proposed new national rules for how data centres consume energy, including a requirement for them to purchase power from renewable energy sources.
In Southern Queensland, there has been a recent push from the Toowoomba Regional Council to ensure data centres do not encroach on drinking-water sources in the region.
Councillor Rebecca Vonhoff said the council took a national lead in passing a motion.
"We have this prime industrial land, we own our water infrastructure, we provide drinking water to our residents and, most importantly, we have a personal and very deeply felt connection to water, having lived through some devastating droughts," she said.
While the Western Downs Digital Park plans to prioritise air-cooled technology and avoid reliance on town water infrastructure, the construction and operation will still be water intensive.
