{
  "id": 10806029,
  "title": "$15b data centre next to tip could be among Australia's largest",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/15b-data-centre-next-to-tip-could-be-among-australias-largest",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-29T23:00:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-30/15-billion-dollar-data-centre-proposed-for-wagga-wagga/107191146"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Canberra-based CDC Data Centres is proposing a $15 billion data centre near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. The 1.4-gigawatt facility would be one of the largest data centres in Australia. The company is working on the planning requirements and community consultation is expected to commence soon. CDC intends to build the facility on council-owned land adjacent to a landfill site on Ashfords Road at Gregadoo, 15 kilometers from the city. If approved, it would rank second among planned data centres in Australia, after Anthropic's $32 billion proposal in Dalby, Queensland.\n\nCDC CEO Greg Boorer believes Wagga Wagga is an ideal location due to its proximity to renewable energy zones, significant grid spare capacity, a university, a skilled workforce, and its closeness to the capital, Canberra. The company has been in discussions with Wagga Wagga City Council for about nine months and is in the process of purchasing the site. The council sees the proposal as a potential economic, investment, and workforce opportunity for the region, acknowledging that the community will have questions and concerns about data centres and their potential impacts. CDC plans to build four single-storey buildings, each approximately the size of a supermarket distribution center, on the site, located about a kilometer from Transgrid's Wagga Wagga substation. Cooling would be achieved using mechanical infrastructure designed to minimize water consumption. The proposal also includes a closed-loop radiator system, 384 backup diesel generators, on-site diesel storage, and two large-scale batteries. A recent fire at the nearby landfill facility burned through 55 hectares of surrounding land. Despite this, Boorer stated that fuel would not be stored in one location, and diesel is deemed a safe and reliable power source for the generators. The proposed development has been deemed state significant by the NSW government, and CDC is currently navigating the planning requirements, with community engagement slated to begin soon. The scoping report highlights the visual impact, noise, water demand, security, and loss of agricultural land as matters of community interest. CDC is preparing for community engagement and education sessions to ensure a smooth transition, emphasizing the importance of these facilities for economic prosperity and cyber-resilience.",
  "summary": "A proposal by CDC Data Centres would see one of the largest data centres in Australia developed on the outskirts of Wagga Wagga.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}