Verified source report
Thirsty and power hungry: Australia is in the middle of a datacentre boom – but not everyone is convinced
They’re a key part of the digital and AI economy, but they come at a high environmental cost and offer few operational jobs Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast On Mamre Road, in Sydney’s outer western suburbs, there are plans to build a “hyperscale” datacentre that will be one of the biggest in the world. If approved, the 52-hectare site will include six four-storey buildings that stretch 40 metres high, alongside 936 cooling units and 852 diesel backup power generators. Continue reading...
coverage / Source report
What happened
According to The Guardian’s source item, Thirsty and power hungry: Australia is in the middle of a datacentre boom – but not everyone is convinced, They’re a key part of the digital and AI economy, but they come at a high environmental cost and offer few operational jobs Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast On Mamre Road, in Sydney’s outer western suburbs, there are plans to build a “hyperscale” datacentre that will be one of the biggest in the world. If approved, the 52-hectare site will include six four-storey buildings that stretch 40 metres high, alongside 936 cooling units and 852 diesel backup power generators. Continue reading…
Context
The development sits in VINI’s Technology file for readers following technology, science, product policy, markets, infrastructure, and the public consequences of innovation. The original report is linked so readers can check the source account, follow later updates, and compare new coverage against the first published record. The source item is dated 2026-06-21T15:00:33+00:00.
What to watch
Open questions include whether primary sources issue follow-up statements, whether local or market impacts become clearer, and whether additional reporting changes the timeline or adds material context.
Source
Primary source: Thirsty and power hungry: Australia is in the middle of a datacentre boom – but not everyone is convinced via The Guardian. VINI cites and links the source; it does not reproduce the publisher’s full article text without rights clearance.
This source-cited VINI report links to the original publisher record. VINI does not republish third-party article bodies without rights clearance. 1 source listed.
Source links
- Thirsty and power hungry: Australia is in the middle of a datacentre boom – but not everyone is convincedThe Guardian - 2026-06-21T15:00:33+00:00
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