Peak body for data centres in Australia launches

A number of major data centre companies have been unveiled as the first members of a new peak body aiming to secure Australia’s place as a major hub for AI infrastructure investment and sustainable development.

Data Centres Australia was launched following a two-year informal pilot between AirTrunk, Amazon Web Services, CDC Data Centres, Microsoft and NEXTDC. Other members of Data Centres Australia include Equinix, Goodman Group, Schneider Electric, STACK Infrastructure and TikTok.

Data Centres Australia will work with government and stakeholders to address key challenges in areas such as planning and development, energy, water and workforce. It will also provide engagement, collaboration, education and advocacy for the data centre sector in Australia.

Belinda Dennett, CEO of the new not-for-profit member group said by working together to establish the best possible policy settings and supporting infrastructure like energy and water, the organisation has a "generational chance" to capture substantial additional value for the nation.

“The complexity and scale of AI infrastructure expansion is challenging the conventional ways that we facilitate development. This means that countries that bring government, industry and stakeholders into genuine alignment, and move together at speed, will lead this industrial transformation," she said.

"As the dedicated sector-level representative, Data Centres Australia will focus directly on the specific issues of data centre development and operations, collaborating to identify practical policy solutions that help establish Australia as a major hub for AI infrastructure investment and sustainable development.”

The Hon. Dr Andrew Charlton, Assistant Minister for Science, Technology and the Digital Economy, said data centres are a great opportunity for Australia.

"They are the engines of the modern economy and can contribute to Australia’s productivity and sustainability agendas," he said.

"The establishment of Data Centres Australia is an important step forward in ensuring the sector can fulfil its potential and make a positive impact in Australia.”