AI giant Anthropic announced a proposal on Thursday to build a massive data centre to power its Claude model in Queensland’s Western Downs region, as part of a $32 billion technology hub.
The Western Downs Digital Park will be the largest of its kind in Australia, drive thousands of jobs and is expected to be in operation within years, despite still being subject to approval by the Foreign Investment Review Board.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli talked up the project by claiming it will be a net gain for the state.
“This is a major win that will deliver more jobs, put more energy into Queensland’s grid and drive down power prices for Queenslanders,” Crisafulli said.
“My meeting with Anthropic during the trade mission was to outline why Queensland was the place to invest, with energy security, locations to invest and a streamlined approvals process to get it right.”
However, Climate Council CEO Amanda McKenzie has warned that much of the energy load for the facility will be driven by nearby fossil-fuel-fired power stations, leading to a harmful rise in pollution – and power bills.
“This single facility could use three times more power than the 1.4 million residents of Brisbane, pushing up expensive and harmful coal and gas generation and adding an extra 6.6 million tonnes of climate pollution a year,” McKenzie said in a statement.
“That’s like putting more than 2 million extra cars on the roads.
“This is exactly why Australia needs clear national rules: Every new data centre in Australia must be required to bring enough new, additional clean energy to meet its demand.”
McKenzie added that projects like Anthropic’s could lead to Australian households competing with “the world’s biggest tech companies” for their daily power requirements.
“Modelling shows this could push up wholesale power prices by at least 13 per cent in Queensland,” McKenzie said.
“Queenslanders are on the frontlines of climate change, facing some of the most significant, fastest-growing risks in the country as coal, oil and gas keep heating our atmosphere. Rising seas and storm surge alone could cost the state $214.5 billion by the end of the century.
“Yet the Queensland government is choosing big tech and fossil fuel profits over its own community.”
Others have also warned that projects of this scale must be a net good for communities, with the Nationals’ David Littleproud – the member for Maranoa – saying Anthropic’s proposal must lead to “genuine, lasting benefits” for those in the region.
“Power reliability and cost for existing homes, farmers and businesses cannot be sacrificed to get this project across the line,” Littleproud said in a statement.
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