Victoria Minister Rebukes NextDC's 225MW Datacentre Push, Alleges AI-Written Lobbying
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 15
Victoria Minister Rebukes NextDC's 225MW Datacentre Push, Alleges AI-Written Lobbying
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 15
Summary
Melissa Horne told NextDC CEO Craig Scroggie she would not back the company’s fast-tracked bid to expand its M3 Footscray datacentre, rejecting a request that she intervene with Victoria’s planning minister.
Horne’s Monday letter also accused Scroggie of relying on AI-generated text, saying his approach contained basic factual errors after he personally emailed her earlier this month.
NextDC wants to expand the site to 10 hectares with 24/7 operations and 225MW of power demand, a plan that has intensified local opposition because some homes sit within 15 metres of the boundary.
Katie Hall, the Labor MP for the area who published Horne’s letter, has warned the project sits within 500 metres of more than 800 homes and nearby community services, with residents concerned about diesel generator testing and outages.
The clash exposes tension in Victoria’s push to attract datacentre investment: large projects can get fast-tracked planning approval, and the planning minister’s final decision cannot be appealed to the state tribunal.