{
  "id": 9137759,
  "title": "Councils fear data centres 'coming at us' on prime land",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/councils-fear-data-centres-coming-at-us-on-prime-land",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-22T08:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Discovered",
    "slug": "discovered",
    "url": "https://therural.com.au/story/9354721/councils-fear-data-centres-coming-at-us-on-prime-land"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Local councils are demanding stricter national regulations for data centres, arguing they are unable to control the placement of these facilities on prime land. Despite assurances from data centre companies AirTrunk and Goodman that they are collaborating with governments to minimize their environmental impact, local councils are concerned that prime land intended for housing and small businesses is being acquired for data centre development. Major Willoughby City Council member Tanya Taylor noted that there is no strategic plan in place to manage this growth. While the federal government has announced plans to work with state governments to establish national standards for data centres, these regulations have yet to be implemented. A series of projects in various locations, including Lane Cove, Macquarie Park, and Sydney's CBD, have been cited as examples of land being taken away from residential and commercial use for data centre development. These projects often require developers to create their own power supply, which could increase real estate prices. Residents and local authorities feel they have little control over the siting of data centres, and City of Sydney Deputy Mayor Jess Miller emphasized that valuable land is being sacrificed for what appears to be little economic benefit. Victoria has announced measures to regulate data centre zoning and energy consumption, one of the most significant state-level actions taken on this issue. Data centre companies expressed willingness to cooperate with authorities but were reluctant to provide specific plans. The inquiry called for tighter regulations and increased transparency, with a need for local councils to have a means of influence over data centre development decisions.",
  "summary": null,
  "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."
}