Anthropic Proposes $31 Billion Datacentre in Rural Queensland
Anthropic proposed a $31 billion datacentre in rural Queensland, prompting the state government to seize approval authority from local councils amid significant community opposition.
AI company Anthropic has proposed a $31 billion datacentre near Kogan and Dalby in rural Queensland to power its Claude large language model. Developed by Singapore-based Zerra DC, the 725-hectare facility would require a peak power capacity of 2.16GW, representing approximately one-quarter of the state's total energy demand. The project is expected to create 1,400 long-term jobs.
The proposal has triggered intense local opposition, with over 21,500 people signing a petition. Residents expressed fears that the project would mirror the boom-bust cycles of the coal seam gas era. In response to the scale of the development, the Queensland government announced it will remove datacentre approval authority from local councils and place it under a new state-led planning framework to ensure consistency.
Premier David Crisafulli has lobbied for the investment to stimulate regional employment. Conversely, the Environmental Defenders Office has called for a moratorium on new datacentres until national standards are established.
