If Australian data centres are going to power the AI revolution, we deserve a fair return | David Pocock
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- Microsoft announced a $25bn investment in Australian datacentre development.
- Amazon Web Services committed $20bn to Australian AI datacentre projects.
- Victoria's household electricity consumption is used as a benchmark for projected Australian datacentre demand by 2030.
- Australia's datacentre water consumption is forecast to more than triple under current projections.
- Climate Council warned that without new renewable generation and storage, datacentre demand could lift wholesale electricity prices by over 20% by 2035.
- Albanese government has responded only with voluntary “national expectations” for AI datacentre infrastructure.
- Barney Glover, Jobs and Skills Australia commissioner, said AI‑related job losses have already topped tens of thousands and could exceed 600,000.
Why it matters: The $45bn AI datacentre influx benefits multinational tech firms while Australian communities bear higher electricity, water costs and potential price spikes; meanwhile, tens of thousands of workers face AI‑induced job losses, highlighting the need for enforceable profit‑sharing and environmental safeguards.
