Hundreds of people gathered on August 9 to call for a moratorium on the construction of artificial intelligence (AI) data centres. The protest was called by the Borderlands Cooperative and Citizens of Tottenham.
Peter Gartside, from Borderlands Cooperative, asked if these large data centres are worth the cost to the environment.
Jacqui Glover, from Citizens of Tottenham, shared her experience of living 30 metres from the NEXTDC data centre. She said the Indwe Street data centre, first established in 2021, had continued to expand and is now more than 4000 square metres and six-stories high. That footprint could double if NEXTDC’s proposal to fast track its new data centres is approved.
Residents told Green Left that they are concerned about the risks to the environment and water supply posed by these large data centres.
Candidates running for the Victorian Greens and Victorian Socialists spoke. State and federal Labor MPs attended.
The protest marched from Hansen Reserve, in West Footscray, to the proposed site of the Perri Melbourne Data Centre and the operational NEXTDC M3 facility and proposed extension.
