Petition Investigate and implement a long-term strategy for data centre and AI infrastructure in Melbourne’s West

The petition of certain citizens of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Council that Melbourne’s West is experiencing rapid population and housing growth while also becoming an increasingly important location for large-scale data centres and AI infrastructure. This growth can place significant demands on electricity, water, land and supporting infrastructure, and the cumulative impacts should be properly considered.

Our concern is that communities hosting major technology infrastructure should not simply carry the local impacts. They should also share in the jobs, education, skills, investment, and community benefits generated by this growth.

A strategy needs to be developed that assesses environmental and cumulative impacts, infrastructure capacity in Melbourne’s West and investigates suitable locations, including purpose-built coastal precincts where technically, environmentally, and economically appropriate and with appropriate separation from residential communities. Sustainable resources including renewable energy, energy storage, water recycling, purification, and desalination should be promoted and the reliance on potable drinking water and routine fossil-fuel generation needs to be reduced.

The community should benefit from partnerships with local schools to support STEM education, scholarships, mentoring, apprenticeships, and pathways into digital careers.

The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the Government to investigate and implement a long-term strategy for data centre and AI infrastructure in Melbourne’s West, that identifies appropriate locations, promotes sustainable resource use and innovation, requires meaningful community benefits from major operators, and ensures contributions to local infrastructure and community facilities.