Submission – Inquiry into data centres
Data centres are needed to support vital functions such as accessing government services. Data centres also support scientific research, by providing the digital infrastructure for data-intensive research projects and AI development. This infrastructure must be coupled with high-performance computing systems to enable climate modelling, drug design, discovery of new materials and defence and industry applications.
There is an opportunity for Australia in establishing data centres. Australia has comparative advantages such as abundant renewable energy resources, stable governance and a skilled workforce which evidently are making Australia an attractive market for building data centres.
The NSW Government has an opportunity to create policy settings to ensure that private investment in establishing data centres is not extractive and creates a thriving digital ecosystem that supports research and research-industry partnerships that benefit Australia and Australians.
If data centres are to continue to be built on Australian shores, using Australian power, water and land, they must be delivering value back into the communities they are joining. The establishment of future data centres must also be done sustainably and should consider using innovative water conservation techniques developed in Australia.
The Academy:
- supports the Australian Government’s expectations of data centres. The NSW Government should consider how to facilitate and enforce these expectations
- recommends that companies looking to establish data centres in Australia should contribute to local research and development (R&D), either by investing in their own R&D, or alternatively paying a levy to the government which would go back into funding fundamental research
- is calling on the Australian Government to develop a 10-year strategy for critical high-performance computing and data (HPCD) infrastructure.
