Anthropic’s 725-hectare Queensland datacentre draws local opposition

A datacentre supporting Anthropic’s Claude large language model is proposed for Queensland’s Western Downs region. The project, made public last month, has drawn opposition from some residents.

The facility would occupy 725 hectares near Kogan, about 180km west of Brisbane and roughly 15 minutes from resident Denver Kanowski’s home. The site currently contains a 24,000-head feedlot surrounded by gas wells.

Developer Zerra DC says the centre would require 2.16GW of peak power, equivalent to about a quarter of Queensland’s total energy demand. It expects thousands of construction jobs and about 1,400 long-term positions; its cooling system, the company says, would use about as much water as an average shopping centre.

Petition passes 21,500 signatures

Dalby travel agent Mordechai Winters helped launch a petition opposing the proposal. He says it collected more than 21,500 signatures in a few weeks, mostly from people in the surrounding area.

Opponents compare the proposal with Queensland’s coal seam gas boom. Cecil Plains farmer Liza Balmain said the two developments shared “huge similarities”, pointing to the gas industry’s rapid arrival, labour disruption and later withdrawal from the region.

Queensland takes planning control

The Western Downs Regional Council had initially been expected to assess the region’s largest-ever project. On Friday, the state government announced that Queensland would assess and coordinate datacentre applications under a new planning framework.

A spokesperson for planning minister Jarrod Bleijie said the state would become the responsible assessor and coordinator, while deals would require the backing of councils and communities. Dalby mayor Andrew Smith said planning should not be rushed and stopped short of supporting or opposing the project.

Benefits remain contested

Queensland premier David Crisafulli told parliament he had lobbied Anthropic to invest in the state. He linked the proposal to regional jobs and potentially lower electricity bills, but those outcomes remain an assessment by the premier rather than a confirmed result.

Jo Sheppard, chief executive of Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise, said most residents had not yet formed a view. Jo Shulman of the Environmental Defenders Office reported a 250% increase since January in enquiries about datacentres to the organisation’s free legal advice service and called for a pause while national standards are developed.

Anthropic wants to begin using the facility as early as next year, subject to planning and approvals.