The largest proposed data center in Australia will consume the equivalent of 1.5 million homes, relying on existing gas-fired power plants rather than new lines.
Queensland Prime Minister David Cisafulli announced to the state parliament on September 16, 2026 that Anthropic had signed a lease agreement in Western Downs Digital Park, a $32 billion project led by Singaporean developer Zerra DC near Dalby, about 250 kilometres west of Brisbane. The site, a former cattle feeder park of about 725 hectares, would host the largest data centre ever proposed in Australia.
The sensitive point is energy. The facility would require power equivalent to the consumption of approximately 1.5 million average Australian households. The project is based on gas plants already in operation, without new transport infrastructure, and Anthropic is committed to cover the entire cost of connection to the network, including upgrades. The reported water consumption is comparable to that of a conventional office building — a design choice that shifts the constraint to electricity.
The capacity would be divided into four halls, for about 1.44 GW on the Anthropic side, the first target for 2027 while the construction of the whole is estimated at four to six years. The site would be used for inference — responding to requests from Claude's users — not training. Two locks remain to be lifted: the development application filed on August 17, 2026 with the Western Downs Regional Council, and the endorsement of the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board.
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