CDC Data Centres faces community pushback over Wagga Wagga campus plan

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Wagga Wagga data centre pushback

Highlights

Over 1,000 Wagga Wagga residents have signed a petition opposing CDC Data Centres’ campus proposal, citing concerns over employment, resource use, and zoning changes.
CDC must submit an Environmental Impact Statement within two years after state requirements issuance, with community consultations scheduled for next week to address local concerns.
Local advocacy group Committee 4 Wagga and MP Joe McGirr emphasize the need for genuine community consultation and a transparent cost-benefit assessment before supporting the development.

Community concerns and planning process

As reported by ABC News, residents in Wagga Wagga are petitioning to stop the proposed development, with some arguing the project would place pressure on local resources while offering unclear benefits to nearby communities.

Resident Liz Warrell says she is concerned about employment outcomes, resource use and emissions linked to the facility. Eden Summers, who lives about 4 kilometres from the proposed site, says the project risks undermining the area's rural character and criticises what she sees as inconsistent planning rules when large companies seek approval.

The petition started by Summers has attracted more than 1,000 signatures and argues locals should not have to give up their rural community for the project. The land being considered is currently zoned for primary production, and CDC proposes changing that zoning as part of the process.

The first community consultation sessions are scheduled to be held in Wagga on Wednesday and Thursday next week. After the state government issues its State Environmental Assessment Requirements, CDC has two years to submit an Environmental Impact Statement covering power infrastructure, noise and vibration, and water management.

Regional industry debate and project impact

Support for the proposal is not uniform, with some residents saying a major industrial project could help diversify the local economy if it is located far enough from central Wagga Wagga. Katrina Walker says the Gregadoo site, about 15 kilometres from the city centre, appears sufficiently removed to make the development acceptable.

Advocacy group Committee 4 Wagga has cautiously welcomed the proposal after previously campaigning for more industry in the city, although co-chair Richard Pottie says backing will depend on the final balance of costs and benefits. He says the city should not automatically reject the project but should weigh any drawbacks against potential gains.

CDC says on its website that the campus could create hundreds of jobs during construction and ongoing skilled roles once operational. Independent Wagga Wagga MP Joe McGirr says the state needs to apply lessons from its renewable energy rollout and ensure the community is genuinely consulted and receives clear benefits.

In our earlier article on East Asia’s data center expansion, we explained how intensifying competition for AI-focused projects is pushing countries to strengthen fundamentals such as grid reliability, broadband connectivity, water access, skilled labor, and governance. We also noted that these operating conditions tend to matter more to investors than headline incentives or power prices, and that delays often stem from power and fiber buildouts and complex multi-agency approvals.

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