Overview
- Quantum DC said it will not seek development approval for the proposed 1,200-megawatt hyperscale AI data centre this year and has paused the approval process.
- The company admitted it misread community sentiment, issued an apology, and said the initial engagement created more questions than answers.
- Planned consultation sessions were postponed over safety concerns, prompting local protest meetings attended by several hundred people and more than 350 direct contacts to the company.
- Residents submitted a consolidated list of 432 questions and raised specific worries about water use, grid capacity, noise and lighting, traffic, bushfire risk, and impacts on farming and the local environment.
- Quantum DC will run a longer engagement program, convene a panel of independent experts to review specialist studies and publish the results, leaving the project timeline open while the company responds to local and regulatory scrutiny.