Anthropic lands deal in $31bn datacentre in western Queensland, David Crisafulli says
News Source
β’Wed, 16 Sep 2026 05:20:00 GMT
π° What Happened
Anthropic has signed a deal for its first Australian data centre in western Queensland. The project is worth $31.9bn and would be the largest of its kind in Australia. Premier David Crisafulli announced the deal in parliament on Wednesday.
Anthropic makes the Claude AI model. It will buy into the first stage of the Western Downs digital park near Dalby. The park is being built by Singapore firm Zerra DC and will connect to the Braemar power station.
The first stage is planned to open next year. The project has four stages and still needs approval from the local council.
π The Backstory
Crisafulli said he met Anthropic on a trade trip and made the case for Queensland. He pointed to energy security and a quick approvals process. He called the deal a major win for jobs and the state's power grid.
Queensland and the Northern Territory rejected a national push in July to make new AI centres use renewable energy. The state says it won a carve-out letting it draw on its coal generators.
The centre will be used for inference, which means answering questions rather than training new models. Anthropic signed an agreement with the federal government in April.
π― Why It Matters
Big AI centres use huge amounts of power and water. The deal could bring jobs, but it may also strain local supplies. It also grows Anthropic's presence in Australia while AI rules are still being debated.
Anthropic has signed a deal for its first Australian data centre in western Queensland. The project is worth $31.9bn and would be the largest of its kind in Australia. Premier David Crisafulli announced the deal in parliament on Wednesday.
Anthropic makes the Claude AI model. It will buy into the first stage of the Western Downs digital park near Dalby. The park is being built by Singapore firm Zerra DC and will connect to the Braemar power station.
The first stage is planned to open next year. The project has four stages and still needs approval from the local council.
Crisafulli said he met Anthropic on a trade trip and made the case for Queensland. He pointed to energy security and a quick approvals process. He called the deal a major win for jobs and the state's power grid.
Queensland and the Northern Territory rejected a national push in July to make new AI centres use renewable energy. The state says it won a carve-out letting it draw on its coal generators.
The centre will be used for inference, which means answering questions rather than training new models. Anthropic signed an agreement with the federal government in April.
Big AI centres use huge amounts of power and water. The deal could bring jobs, but it may also strain local supplies. It also grows Anthropic's presence in Australia while AI rules are still being debated.