Microsoft, AWS Pledge $45 Billion for Australia Datacentres as Fair-Return and Power-Cost Fears Grow
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 8
Microsoft, AWS Pledge $45 Billion for Australia Datacentres as Fair-Return and Power-Cost Fears Grow
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 8
Summary
$45 billion in planned Australian datacentre investment from Microsoft and Amazon Web Services is drawing scrutiny over whether communities will gain enough tax, jobs and public benefit from the buildout.
Critics say the Albanese government has welcomed the projects with only voluntary national expectations, raising fears Australia could repeat its gas-export model of offshore profits and weak public returns.
By 2030, datacentres are expected to use as much electricity as all Victorian households, while water consumption is forecast to more than triple and wholesale power prices could rise more than 20% by 2035 without new renewables and storage.
Employment is another flashpoint: datacentres create construction jobs but limited ongoing roles, even as AI-related job losses in Australia have already reached the tens of thousands and could exceed 600,000, according to Jobs and Skills Australia.
AI could eliminate 600,000 Australian jobs. Is the nation trading long-term careers for short-term construction work?
Australia's gas exports enriched foreign firms. Is the AI boom another massive giveaway of the nation's wealth?
Billions Flow Into Australia’s Digital Infrastructure: AI, Cloud, and the High-Stakes Data Centre Surge
Overview
Australia is undergoing an unprecedented surge in digital infrastructure investment, led by major technology giants like Microsoft and Amazon Web Services. With billions committed to expanding data center capacity and digital capabilities, Australia is rapidly becoming a global hub for artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Microsoft's landmark A$25 billion investment, its largest in the country, is focused on boosting AI, cloud capacity, cybersecurity, and digital skills. This wave of investment is transforming Australia's economy, workforce, and technological landscape, positioning the nation at the forefront of digital innovation in the Asia-Pacific region.