[LINK] 'Data Centres Australia' Australia’s data centre giants form new industry body

[Stephen Loosley]

Australia’s data centre giants form new industry body

By Justin Hendry 28 November 2025
https://www.innovationaus.com/australias-data-centre-giants-form-new-industry-body/


A new peak body representing Australia’s leading data centre providers has launched to advocate for an industry expecting at least $26 billion in local infrastructure investment by 2030.

AirTrunk, Amazon Web Services, CDC Data Centres, Microsoft and NextDC are among the founding members of Data Centres Australia, which will push for favourable policy settings for the sector.

Belinda Dennett, who left her role as AirTrunk head of government relations this month to become the inaugural chief executive, told InnovationAus.com the rate of change over the past six months made now the right time to launch the not-for-profit.  (Snip)

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Data Centres Australia to lead engagement, advocacy and collaboration for national AI opportunity

Dedicated peak body to secure Australian national benefit in global race for AI infrastructure

November 28, 2025 Media Releases
https://datacentres.org.au/data-centres-australia-to-lead-engagement/


Major data centre companies including AirTrunk, Amazon Web Services, CDC Data Centres, Microsoft and NEXTDC were today unveiled as the first members of a new peak body aimed to secure Australia’s place as a major hub for AI infrastructure investment and sustainable development.

Data Centres Australia was launched today by The Hon. Dr Andrew Charlton, Assistant Minister for Science, Technology and the Digital Economy, in recognition of the dynamic growth and strategic value of the Australian data centre sector. With $26 billion of local data centre investment forecast by 2030 and flourishing international momentum, there is significant opportunity to position Australia as a regional leader.

The new peak body has launched following a two-year informal pilot between AirTrunk, Amazon Web Services, CDC Data Centres, Microsoft and NEXTDC. Other new members of Data Centres Australia include Equinix, Goodman Group, Schneider Electric, STACK Infrastructure and TikTok.

Belinda Dennett, Chief Executive Officer of the new not-for-profit member group said: “This is an extraordinary time with the world racing for strategic advantage in AI infrastructure. Australia has already produced several world-class data centre companies and captured the attention of the global AI ecosystem. By working together to establish the best possible policy settings and supporting infrastructure like energy and water, we have a generational chance to capture substantial additional value for the nation.”

“The complexity and scale of AI infrastructure expansion is challenging the conventional ways that we facilitate development. This means that countries that bring government, industry and stakeholders into genuine alignment, and move together at speed, will lead this industrial transformation. This is a historical shift that will establish our capability and future prosperity for decades to come. Progress now depends on urgency, coordination and shared execution.”

Data Centres Australia will work with government and stakeholders to address key challenges in areas such as planning and development, energy, water and workforce. It will provide dedicated engagement, collaboration, education and advocacy for the data centre sector in Australia. 

Ms. Dennett said: “Our members are at the forefront of AI infrastructure development and key to Australia realising the significant opportunities on offer. As the dedicated sector-level representative, Data Centres Australia will focus directly on the specific issues of data centre development and operations, collaborating to identify practical policy solutions that help establish Australia as a major hub for AI infrastructure investment and sustainable development.”

Data Centres Australia today published new Mandala Partners research that explains the key role of sustainable data centres in the modern digital economy and recognises their important role in the renewable energy transition. It highlights the significant opportunity for collaboration and coordinated policy action to harness data centre growth for national benefit.

Ms. Dennett said: “This research provides an important benchmark to show how data centres contribute to the economy, producing the highest economic output per unit of energy of any industrial sector. It finds that data centres have invested in $3.1 billion in grid infrastructure since 2020 and will invest a further $7.2 billion by 2030, and provides new insight on data centre water demand.”

“We’re hopeful that this research and ongoing work by Data Centres Australia can contribute to informed, evidence-based policy discussion and collaboration between all interested stakeholders.”

Welcoming Data Centres Australia, Assistant Minister Charlton said: “Data centres are a great opportunity for Australia. They are the engines of the modern economy and can contribute to Australia’s productivity and sustainability agendas. The establishment of Data Centres Australia is an important step forward in ensuring the sector can fulfil its potential and make a positive impact in Australia.”

NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully, said: “The establishment of Data Centres Australia will help NSW and Australia to continue attracting major digital innovation investments. This group will help build on the work the Minns Labor Government has been doing to attract more job creating innovative investments in digital infrastructure that supports productivity growth in NSW.”

Victorian Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs, Danny Pearson, said: “Victoria is proud to be a leader in smart, sustainable data centre investment that will create jobs and grow our economy. Data Centres Australia will help governments and industry move together to make the most of this opportunity.”

Paul Slaven, Chief Development Officer, AirTrunk, said: “Data centres are central to Australia’s digital economy ambitions.  We need to build greater understanding – across society, government and industry – of how data centres can be delivered at the scale and speed required, and responsibly. Data Centres Australia has been established to unite our industry so that together we can enable Australia to seize this opportunity. AirTrunk is proud to be a principal member of Data Centres Australia to support this important work.”

Greg Boorer, CDC Data Centres Founder and CEO, said: “Since I founded the business in 2007, CDC has contributed to Australia becoming a leading market for secure and resilient data centres driving economic progress. CDC, as the largest data centre provider in Australia, has been leading the charge for our nation to become a digital infrastructure hub in the region, to showcase the capabilities we have as a nation, the investments we can make as an industry and the jobs and economic benefits we can generate as a sector for the broader society. We are excited about the opportunity to build on the work done to date – including across the sector and with our customers – and present a united and clear voice on this front. The opportunity for Australia is immense – we now need to make sure we’re effective in realising it. Data Centres Australia has an important role to play in helping achieve that.”

Karie Bradfield, Senior Director, Cloud Operations & Innovation, Microsoft, said: “Countries that align policy, industry and communities will lead the AI era. Microsoft is proud to be a founding member of Data Centres Australia, which aims to advance the country’s leadership in critical infrastructure that powers the global AI economy. We look forward to working alongside industry and government toward a more prosperous digital future for Australia, driven by access to the most innovative, sustainable and inclusive technology.”

Craig Scroggie, CEO & Managing Director, NEXTDC, said: “In the AI era, digital infrastructure has become one of Australia’s most important economic enablers. AI and cloud are reshaping every sector, and the data centres behind them are critical national infrastructure underpinning security, productivity and future industry growth. Over the past two years, the G5 (AirTrunk, AWS, CDC, Microsoft and NEXTDC) have worked together in an alliance capacity to educate policymakers and stakeholders, building a clear understanding of the unique requirements Australia must meet to remain globally competitive. NEXTDC supports the establishment of Data Centres Australia as the logical next step, a unified expert peak body that can deliver clarity, consistency and coordinated action across energy, planning, land, water, skills and sustainability, the essential components for AI-ready and globally competitive digital infrastructure at scale.”

Guy Danskine, Managing Director, Australia, Equinix, said: “Data Centres Australia is a timely and important initiative that gives our sector a unified voice at a critical moment for the nation’s digital future. As demand for high-performance digital infrastructure accelerates with AI, coordinated industry leadership is essential. Equinix has joined because we see a major national opportunity: to strengthen Australia’s position as a regional hub for AI infrastructure, build skills and workforce capability, and drive innovation that benefits every state and territory. We can achieve far more together than any one organisation alone, and Equinix encourages the data centre sector to help shape a strong, resilient and future-ready economy.”

Jason Little, CEO Australia, Goodman Group, said: “Australia stands at the forefront of a digital transformation that is reshaping our economy and society. Data centres are the backbone of this digital future—enabling innovation, productivity, and growth. At Goodman, we are committed to building the essential infrastructure that empowers businesses, communities, and the nation to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Joining Data Centres Australia is an important step in fostering collaboration and shaping the sector’s potential for generations to come.”

Joe Craparotta, Vice President, Cloud and Service Provider Segment, Schneider Electric, said: “Schneider Electric has prioritised the data centre segment for over 30 years, driving innovation in sustainable power, cooling, and software systems. Joining DCA strengthens our collaboration with Australia’s ecosystem to advance research and policy for its role as a leading AI hub.”

Joel O’Halloran, Managing Director, STACK Infrastructure Australia, said: “STACK Infrastructure is proud to join Data Centres Australia as a Principal Member. We look forward to working closely with the Data Centres Australia team, industry partners, and regulatory bodies to help realise Australia’s significant opportunity to emerge as a global leader in Digital and AI Infrastructure. As governments and enterprises worldwide accelerate investment in AI, Australia is competing in a rapidly expanding global Digital and AI Infrastructure market and Australia has all the essential ingredients for success. Our nation benefits from a highly skilled workforce, a stable policy and contractual environment, access to affordable renewable energy, world-class safety standards, and the deep capital required to scale. The economic and competitive upside for Australia is substantial. We believe Data Centres Australia, as the industry’s dedicated representative voice can drive collaboration needed across the sector to unlock this opportunity.”

Bran Black, Chief Executive, Business Council of Australia, said: “We welcome the launch of Data Centres Australia, because these assets will be critical to Australia’s future economic success and the ability to remain globally competitive. Data centres represent a major opportunity for Australia, and to attract the investment we need for this critical infrastructure, we must ensure that policymakers create the best possible regulatory framework.”

Damian Kassabgi, CEO, Tech Council of Australia, said: “The TCA welcomes the establishment of Data Centres Australia at what is such a pivotal time for Australia and its AI journey, as well as for the digital infrastructure needed to underpin our potential global role within it. The TCA and our members look forward to working with Data Centres Australia in a complementary and collaborative way to truly seize the opportunity presented for Australia by AI.”

 

Media Contact

Tim Marshall
tim.marshall at datacentres.org.au

Resources

Data Centres as Enabling Infrastructure: https://datacentres.org.au/data-centres-as-enabling-infrastructure/

About Data Centres Australia

Data Centres Australia is the peak representative body dedicated to data centres in Australia. Our vision is for Australia to be a regional hub for AI infrastructure investment and sustainable data centre development, growing capacity to support national advantage. 

Together with our members – data centre developers and operators, and the expanding data centre ecosystem – we work collaboratively with government and stakeholders to raise awareness and advance coordinated policy action.

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