Adelaide Hills residents rally against Quantum DC's 1,200 MW AI data centre plan

Residents of a farming district in South Australia's Adelaide Hills have stepped up their opposition to a proposed AI data centre. On Saturday, opponents held a public rally in Mannum, two days after a community meeting in Tungkillo, according to ABC News. Both gatherings went ahead even though Melbourne-based developer Quantum DC had called off its own information sessions for the week.

The project and the postponed sessions

Quantum DC's Tungkillo Compute and Energy Hub would have a capacity of about 1,200 MW. Buildings and infrastructure would cover roughly 120 hectares of a 220-hectare site on Collins Road, with the rest kept for grazing. The trade outlet W.Media reports that the company plans three stages, with first operations in 2028 and full build-out by 2031.

The developer had scheduled drop-in sessions in Tungkillo and Mannum, then postponed them to November 20 and 21, citing safety. Local outlet Murray Bridge News reported that the Tungkillo session was cancelled after a reported bomb threat, and that around 600 opponents still gathered outside the Tungkillo Soldiers' Memorial Hall and voted unanimously against the plan. Chief executive Alby Tomassi told the ABC that the company wants to hear community views and will not lodge a development application until consultation is finished.

What the company says, and what residents fear

According to Tomassi, about 80% of the site's electricity would come from wind and solar contracts delivered through two new substations on existing ElectraNet lines, with an on-site gas plant providing backup. He said water would come from captured and recirculated rainwater rather than the River Murray or groundwater. W.Media puts expected operational use at around 20 megalitres a year, with 150 to 250 megalitres needed during construction.

Residents cite land use, water, noise and light pollution, as well as the nearby River Murray Dark Sky Reserve. Organiser Magdalene Lippett told the ABC that locals are not against all development, pointing to a battery storage project near the local substation, but question the trade-offs for agriculture. Murray Bridge News reports that a petition has gathered more than 4,000 signatures.

Political reactions

No government members attended the Mannum rally, according to the ABC. Planning Minister Nick Champion said any proposal would have to pass a rigorous assessment covering power and water. Liberal upper house leader Nicola Centofanti said community opposition to this site must be weighed. Greens leader Robert Simms called for a moratorium on new data centres, and One Nation's Carlos Quaremba suggested a cross-party alliance could form against the project. Murray Bridge News reports that local MP Robert Roylance has declared his opposition.