Wagga Wagga residents fight $15b data centre plan amid fears for rural land

Artists impression of the draft design for the proposed CDC data centre at Gregadoo, near Wagga Wagga. A $15b proposal for one of Australia’s largest data centres has prompted backlash from local activists who claim it will affect homes, agricultural land and the environment. Data centre developer and operator CDC has announced it is “exploring the possibility” of a multi-billion dollar development in regional NSW near Wagga Wagga that would be a 24/7 facility consisting of four single-storey buildings. Formal public consultation hasn’t opened yet but local activists have started social media pages and a petition to raise community awareness. MORE: Aus AI boom putting your home at risk Annotated map showing rural homes around the proposed Gregadoo site. Source: Willowtree Planning / Scoping Report MORE: Sydney locals outraged over $1.4bn data centre ‘sidestep’ The petition garnered over 1,000 signatures in five days and described the data centre as “not appropriate” with calls for decision makers to “put the community before greed”. “We are calling on Wagga Wagga City Council, the NSW Government and the relevant planning authorities to reject the proposed 1.4-gigawatt CDC data cent...