Clyde North Student Asks: Why No Community Consultation on the Proposed Data Centre?
Rachel Payne MP has raised a constituent’s concerns in Parliament over a proposed 53-hectare data centre in Clyde North. She has questioned why local residents haven’t been consulted on a development her constituent says could affect his studies, health and quality of life.
A student’s concerns
The constituency question, put to the Minister for Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Economy, came from a university student living in Clyde North. While Rachel noted that the benefits data centres bring to local communities remain unclear, she said the risks are well documented. For example, she cited a Greenpeace report suggesting data centres could account for 13% of total national energy use by 2040. She also warned that the added strain on the electricity grid could push power bills up by 23% by 2035. In addition, she pointed to Climate Council estimates that data centres will drive a 14% increase in climate pollution by 2035.
Beyond the energy and climate impacts, Rachel raised the day-to-day effects on nearby residents — constant noise, light and pollution that pose a health hazard. There is also a fire risk.
The core question
Because data centres have been fast-tracked under the Victorian government’s urban growth zone planning provisions, Rachel’s constituent wants to know: why has there been no community consultation in the planning of these facilities? In his view, this is important. This is especially the case given the scale of the risks to community wellbeing, environmental sustainability, safety and quality of life.
Read the full question
The video and complete transcript of Rachel’s constituency question is available below.
Transcript:
Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan):
My constituency question is for the Minister for Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Economy.
My constituent is a university student based in Clyde North. He is concerned that the 53-hectare data centre proposed for Clyde North will impact his studies, health and quality of life.
While the benefits of data centres to local communities are unclear, the risks are not. A report from Greenpeace suggests data centres could reach 13 per cent of total national energy use by 2040. The stress that they put on the electricity grid could cause bills to soar by 23 per cent by 2035. Additionally, the Climate Council estimates that they will increase climate pollution by 14 per cent by 2035. The constant noise, light and pollution produced by these facilities is a health hazard to residents who live near them. They also pose a fire hazard.
As the data centres have been fast-tracked under the Victorian government’s urban growth zone planning provisions. My constituent asks: why has there been no community consultation in the planning of these data centres? He believes this is crucial. This is especially true given the enormous risks they pose to community wellbeing, environmental sustainability, safety and quality of life.
