Residents in Yarraville, Melbourne, used parked cars and wheelie bins to prevent crews installing large electricity poles on their street, after learning the work was linked to a nearby data centre. The crews left without completing the work and have not yet returned; residents say they were not properly informed and want a say in infrastructure being built in their residential area.

The planned concrete poles are 15 metres tall and designed to carry more than 66,000 volts, supporting an operating NextDC data centre in neighbouring West Footscray. Jemena says the poles form part of a local network upgrade to meet Melbourne’s growing energy needs. Further data centres are planned nearby, while residents and a local MP have raised questions about the route and called for alternatives such as underground power lines.