Anger over Tungkillo data centre should have Labor on red alert
With the Liberals, One Nation and the Greens all leaning into community fears about data centres, the Malinauskas government could be left holding the bag if it can't regulate them properly.
Recent data centre projects have become so contentious that they have united the Greens and One Nation, two opposing political parties. At a rally in Mannum, South Australia, these parties joined the Liberal Party in protesting a proposed hyper-scale data centre in Tungkillo, a town roughly 40km east of Adelaide. The opposition stems from environmental, energy, and water usage concerns, with community members alleging the development will harm prime agricultural land.
The Popular independent MP Rebekha Sharkie also opposes the project, stating "Data Centres do NOT belong on prime agricultural land" on Facebook. Quantum DC, the company behind the proposal, has faced criticism over its lackluster community consultation process, but Labor has also been scrutinized for appeasing data centre developers.
With the US midterms highlighting voter backlash against data centre proposals, the Tungkillo case may further pressure Labor to address concerns surrounding the project. Premier Peter Malinauskas has proposed new laws to impose stricter energy and water requirements on data centres, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach that prioritizes the state's interests.
Meanwhile, Labor will need to negotiate with opposition parties who are increasingly vocal about their opposition to data centre development.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
