美国科技公司AirTrunk计划在悉尼西区Kemps Creek开发一座大型数据中心园区，总投资90亿澳元，占地52公顷，装机容量达1.2吉瓦[1]。该项目预计在施工期间创造137亿澳元经济产出，运营后提供2775个就业岗位[1]。新南威尔士州规划部门预计在数周内做出最终决定[1]。
然而，该项目因地理位置原因遭遇多方反对。数据中心将毗邻三所学校——距Mamre Anglican School仅60米、Emmaus Catholic College 170米、Trinity Catholic Primary School 320米，共有超过1500名学生受影响[1]。Mamre Anglican School校长Ross Whelan表示，学校社区"将关切潜在的健康影响和来自运营及场地基础设施要求的风险"[1]。本地居民Ted Pochodyla亦表达担忧，称自己"逐渐被四面八方的工业围困"，担心该项目"可能对我的健康和日常生活造成的负面影响"[1]。
项目规模庞大，将配备852台柴油备用发电机、936个冷却装置和1440万升柴油燃料储备，同时存储265万公斤锂离子电池[1]。悉尼水务部门警告称，现有废水网络"未设计用于处理数据中心产生的大量排水"[1]。AirTrunk已改进方案，拟采用干冷却技术消除冷却系统运营用水[1]，并承诺在2030年前通过碳抵消机制实现净零运营排放[1]。新南威尔士州目前有近90个运营中的数据中心，还有15个重大项目在规划阶段，总投资520亿澳元[1]。
US technology company AirTrunk is proposing a $9 billion data centre precinct in Kemps Creek in western Sydney, spanning 52 hectares with a capacity of 1.2 gigawatts—equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of approximately one million Australian households [1]. The project has drawn significant concern from nearby schools and residents over potential environmental and health impacts.
The development site sits close to three schools educating over 1,500 students: Mamre Anglican School, located just 60 metres away, Emmaus Catholic College at 170 metres, and Trinity Catholic Primary School at 320 metres [1]. The facility will feature 852 diesel backup generators, 936 cooling units, and store 14.4 million litres of diesel fuel and 2.65 million kilograms of lithium-ion batteries [1]. Mamre Anglican School principal Ross Whelan expressed concern about "potential health impacts and risks from operational and site infrastructure requirements" affecting the school community [1], while local resident Ted Pochodyla stated: "I am gradually being surrounded by industry from all directions, and I am very concerned about the negative impacts this development could have on my health and daily life" [1].
Sydney Water has raised serious concerns, warning that the existing wastewater network is "not designed to handle large volumes of discharge generated by a data centre," though AirTrunk has proposed adopting dry cooling technology to eliminate operational water use from cooling systems [1]. The company has committed to achieving net-zero operational emissions by 2030 through carbon offset mechanisms [1]. If approved, the project is estimated to generate $13.7 billion in economic output during construction and create 2,775 operational jobs [1]. New South Wales regulators are expected to make a decision within weeks [1].