Data centres – here today, here tomorrow: Water’s Evolving Role in Australia’s Data Centre Strategy

In this episode of Ashurst’s Legal Outlook series on data centres, real estate partner Alexandra Peace speaks with Planning, Access and Environment partners Jane Hall (Melbourne) and Rebecca Dixon (Sydney) about why water is fast becoming as strategic as power for Australia’s data centre sector. They explore the current lack of an overarching national strategy, the state-based patchwork in Victoria and New South Wales, and the growing tension between data centre demand, community concerns about water security, and media scrutiny that often focuses on headline peak usage figures. The discussion looks at how regulators and industry are responding, including Victoria’s push for a more coordinated policy approach, New South Wales’ use of state significant development pathways and a single metropolitan water authority, and what Australia can learn from international initiatives such as the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact. To keep up to date with the latest news and developments in M&A and corporate law subscribe to Ahead of the Deal our monthly Australian M&A briefing. And to listen to this and subscribe to future episodes of the Data Centre mini-series, search for “Ashurst Legal Outlook” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast player. To explore more from Ashurst’s podcast library, visit ashurst.com/podcasts. The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.