Latest massive data centre proposal is scrapped in Sydney after outrage – but the developer has seven other sites flagged

Stockland has abandoned plans for a large AI data centre at the former Kogarah Golf Course beside Sydney’s Cooks River, following sustained local protests. The proposal’s withdrawal is significant amid concerns that data centres can put pressure on water supplies and the local environment, particularly near a waterway described as the state’s most contaminated coastal waterway.

The proposed centre would have covered 25,400 square metres within a broader logistics and technology precinct; Stockland says the site will now be developed as a logistics hub without a data centre. The developer has flagged seven other potential sites, including locations in Sydney and Melbourne. Australia had about 165 data centres by August 2026, with at least 225 more proposed, and national electricity and clean water use by data centres is expected to more than triple by 2030.