Shaping Queensland’s Digital Future
Built where the Power is
Western Downs Digital Park (WDDP) is a proposed master-planned digital and energy precinct and world-scale computing hub in regional Queensland. It would be one of Australia's largest investments in digital infrastructure, helping strengthen Australia's place in the global digital economy.
The project involves the planned delivery of up to four phases of AI-ready data centres and associated infrastructure designed to support Australia's growing digital economy while creating long-term jobs, investment and opportunities for the region. The proposal is being assessed under the relevant local and State government approval processes.
WDDP will be delivered by Zerra DC, a developer and operator of hyperscale data centre campuses across Australia and Asia-Pacific. Zerra's team brings experience from the world's leading technology and data centre companies. Zerra was established by AGP, an independent investor and asset manager of energy, real estate and digital infrastructure assets.
Western Downs Digital Park
Artist's impression of the proposed development showing Phase 1 (to the right of the image) and future phases (shaded in green).
Final design and staging remain subject to approvals.
WDDP is proposed as a staged, master-planned digital and energy precinct, bringing together AI-ready data centres, energy infrastructure and a high-quality workplace environment within a campus setting.
Phase 1 will include the first data centre facility, an on-site battery-backed power conditioning system, substation and supporting infrastructure, together with temporary construction worker accommodation and amenities. The broader master plan provides for up to four data centre phases, with further workplace, workforce and community amenities to be developed progressively over time.
The Proposal:
A Phased Delivery Program
Key
features
100% air-cooled technology
WDDP data centres will utilise 100% air-cooled technology, removing the need for water-based evaporative cooling - typically one of the largest sources of water consumption in traditional data centres. Water use for the project is limited primarily to the day-to-day needs of on-site workers, not cooling.
Independent water supply
During construction, and subject to agreements and approvals, water needs are proposed to be met primarily using processed water from nearby gas operations, a by-product that would otherwise go unused.
During operations, rainwater harvesting is the preferred water source, supported by on-site recycling, with an existing on-site dam available as a supplementary source, subject to entitlement and approval.
Groundwater is not proposed as a planned source of water for the project. No bore water use or extraction from local aquifers is proposed as part of the project’s water supply strategy. Groundwater is retained only as a last-resort contingency, subject to further investigation, water entitlements and regulatory approvals.
Water deliveries are also retained as a backup, with any such water to be sourced from outside the local region.
At the heart of Queensland's Energy Capital
Western Downs is one of Australia’s major energy regions, with approximately 5.4 GW of generation and storage capacity and significant existing electricity infrastructure. The region continues to attract major investment in renewable generation, battery storage and supporting energy infrastructure.
Grid stability and power quality
WDDP will incorporate an on-site battery-backed power conditioning system designed to manage fluctuations in electricity demand, support power quality and present a more stable and predictable load to the network.
The system will help manage rapid changes in demand as computing loads vary, while providing short-duration energy support and greater operational resilience within the digital park.
Proposed community initiatives
Local supplier growth
Local supplier capability program helping businesses enter the digital infrastructure supply chain.
~1,500
Direct on-site construction jobs each year, on average, during construction.*
~2,100
Indirect operational jobs supported in the wider community at full capacity.*
Housing supply
Support for new local residential housing supply, aligned with Council's long-term residential housing plan.
* Estimates are based on an independent Economic Benefit Assessment prepared by Urbis and assume delivery and operation of the full proposed development. Actual outcomes will depend on project phasing, timing, occupancy and operating requirements
~1,400
Direct operational roles at full capacity.*
180 apprenticeships
Investment in electrical and mechanical apprenticeships for the region.
Road upgrades
Intersection and access improvements proposed for Dalby-Kogan Road and Grahams Road, with the final scope to be determined through the approval process.
Lasting community value
WDDP is working with government, local organisations, First Nations representatives and the community to create long-term social and economic benefits for the Western Downs.
Operational
water use
First building
21 kL/day
Total water requirement.
13 kL/day
Remaining raw-water requirement. Primarily treated rainwater.
Water-use figures are based on current project modelling and may be refined as detailed design and approvals progress. Updated figures may differ from those included in the lodged development application where project assumptions have subsequently been refined.
8 kL/day
Recycled and reused on site.
~35,000 m² rainwater catchment
Designed to capture and store rainfall for use through dry periods.
30 typical households
Equivalent daily water use in volume.
Location
Western Downs is an established energy and industrial precinct
Western Downs is recognised as Queensland's energy capital. The region also hosts some of Australia's largest battery storage projects. Consistent with this regional identity, the WDDP site was selected based on a number of important factors:
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its proximity to major power infrastructure, including the Braemar substation
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its capacity to accommodate a master-planned digital infrastructure campus
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its separation from residential land uses, with buildings set back approximately 1 km from Dalby-Kogan Road behind retained vegetation
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its location within the Special Industry Area identified under the Western Downs Regional Council Planning Scheme
Planning process
WDDP is a proposed development and remains subject to relevant local and State assessment and approval processes. Project updates, including details of the public notification process, will be published on this website.
Have your say
The development application will be available on Western Downs Regional Council's website. Council will run a public notification period as part of its assessment, during which anyone can make a submission.
If you'd like to talk to us first, contact engagement@urbis.com.au or 1800 271 009
A data centre is a secure facility that stores, processes and manages the digital information behind many of the services we use every day. From online banking and shopping to healthcare, education, government services and artificial intelligence, data centres provide essential infrastructure for Australia’s digital economy.
Western Downs Digital Park (WDDP) is a proposed master-planned digital infrastructure precinct in the Western Downs. The project is planned to be delivered in stages and will include up to four data centre buildings, supporting energy infrastructure and associated facilities.
Over time, WDDP is intended to support significant investment, skilled employment, training and economic opportunities for the Western Downs region.
The Western Downs is recognised as The Energy Capital of Queensland, with a long history of major investment in electricity generation and energy infrastructure.
The WDDP site was selected because it is close to major high-voltage electricity infrastructure at Braemar, has sufficient land for a master-planned campus, is well separated from residential areas and sits within an established energy and industrial precinct.
The site is also within the Special Industry Area identified under the Western Downs Regional Council Planning Scheme.
Water
The first data centre building is expected to require approximately 21 kL of water per day in total.
Around 8 kL/day, approximately 40% of total demand, will be supplied through on-site water recycling, reducing the remaining raw-water requirement to approximately 13 kL/day.
That 13 kL/day requirement is equivalent in volume to the daily water use of around 30 typical Queensland households.
The raw-water requirement is expected to be supplied primarily from rainwater captured from the building’s approximately 35,000 m² effective roof catchment and treated on site.
These figures relate specifically to the first data centre building. Water demand will increase as later stages are developed, with the water balance and supply infrastructure designed progressively for each stage of the campus.
WDDP will use an independent on-site water strategy.
The primary sources are expected to be rainwater captured from the data centre roofs and water recycled and reused on site. Recycled water is expected to meet approximately 40% of operational demand and is not dependent on rainfall.
Supplementary supply may include water from the existing on-site dam and other approved independent water sources. Trucked water will remain available as a backup if required.
No connection to the local reticulated town-water network is proposed.
The project is being designed to continue operating through extended periods of low rainfall.
On an annual water-balance basis, modelling using Bureau of Meteorology historical rainfall records indicates that calculated rainwater capture from the proposed roof areas exceeds the project’s annual raw-water requirement even in the driest year on record. Around 40% of operational water demand will also be met through on-site recycling, which is not dependent on rainfall.
Historical rainfall records also include extended dry periods of around two months. The proposed water system therefore includes on-site storage and backup supply arrangements to maintain operations during periods when rainfall is unavailable.
Construction requires more water than ongoing operations, particularly during peak civil works and commissioning.
Current estimates indicate a peak construction water requirement of approximately 380 kL/day across the site. In addition, a one-off volume of approximately 27 ML per building will be required for commissioning and initial filling activities.
The preferred construction water source is processed coal seam gas water supplied through a proposed connection point on the existing nearby pipeline, subject to commercial agreement, availability, regulatory approvals and any required water entitlements.
If that supply is not available, trucked water sourced from outside the Western Downs region will be used as the backup construction water supply.
No town water connection is proposed. WDDP has been designed around an independent water strategy so it does not rely on the local reticulated drinking-water network.
The project’s planned water supply does not rely on local agricultural water supplies, and no bore-water extraction from local groundwater aquifers is proposed.
Operational and construction water will instead be supplied through the independent sources described above.
WDDP is designed to use a 100% air-cooled heat-rejection system, avoiding the water-intensive evaporative cooling systems commonly used by some data centres.
The cooling system uses closed-loop water circulation within the data centre, but heat is rejected to the outside air rather than through evaporation.
This means no ongoing cooling-water make-up is required and cooling water is not consumed through evaporation.
As a result, operational water use is primarily associated with the day-to-day needs of people working on site and other essential site services rather than evaporative cooling.
Energy
WDDP will be developed progressively, with electricity demand increasing as individual data-centre buildings are constructed, commissioned and occupied.
The lodged development application provides for a staged electrical design, with each development stage designed to accommodate approximately 540 MVA of total facility demand.
This is a design capacity, not the amount of electricity the project will consume continuously. Actual electricity demand at any point in time will depend on the number of buildings operating, customer occupancy and utilisation.
WDDP will be connected to the Queensland electricity system. Zerra is evaluating a range of supply arrangements for the project, which may include direct or contracted supply from existing regional generation infrastructure, alongside new generation and storage.
Any initial supply arrangements may evolve as the project scales and as additional generation, storage and network capacity become available.
The specific sources and structure of the project’s electricity supply have not yet been finalised and will depend on detailed network studies, customer requirements, commercial agreements and regulatory approvals.
WDDP will not draw power through the local distribution network that supplies homes and businesses. It will connect directly to the high-voltage transmission network at the existing Braemar substation, with the dedicated connection infrastructure required for the project funded by WDDP.
Zerra is committed to working with WDDP’s future customers to support the project’s energy needs in a way that seeks to avoid adverse impacts on consumer power prices.
Electricity prices are influenced by a range of wholesale market, network and retail factors.
As the project develops, Zerra intends to work with WDDP’s future customers to support investment in additional generation and firming capacity in Queensland as electricity demand from the project grows.
WDDP will also incorporate on-site battery-backed power conditioning designed to smooth changes in demand and present a stable, predictable load to the network.
Development and community
No. The campus is planned to be delivered in four stages over time.
Phase 1 will include the first data centre facility, an on-site battery-backed power conditioning system, substation and supporting infrastructure, together with temporary construction workforce accommodation and amenities.
Further stages would include an additional three data centre buildings and related infrastructure.
A phased approach allows development, infrastructure and workforce growth to occur progressively as demand increases.
WDDP acknowledges the long-term impacts the Western Downs community has experienced from previous large-scale projects in the region. WDDP is committed to avoiding additional pressure on local housing availability and cost of living as a result of its workforce by providing accommodation on site during periods of peak demand and progressively transitioning workers into the community as additional housing becomes available.
WDDP is taking a structured approach to workforce accommodation across both the construction and operational phases, designed to keep pressure off existing housing in surrounding communities.
Construction phase
Purpose-built workforce accommodation will be developed on site, including accommodation, dining and recreation facilities.
The facility is planned to accommodate the construction workforce of approximately 1,500 workers, as well as the initial operational workforce of approximately 470 workers, so that project-generated accommodation demand can be met on site rather than placing additional pressure on surrounding towns.
Operational phase
Operational workers relocating to the Western Downs will initially be accommodated on site while additional housing becomes available in the community.
As additional housing becomes available, workers will progressively transition from the on-site accommodation into the broader community, aligned with Western Downs Regional Council’s long-term residential housing plans.
Some parts of the development may be visible from surrounding areas. However, the site includes large setbacks, landscaping and vegetation buffers to help reduce visual impacts where possible.
Buildings are set back approximately 1 km from Dalby-Kogan Road behind retained vegetation, and the site is well separated from nearby residential land uses.
Environmental impacts are being assessed through detailed technical studies as part of the planning and approvals process.
This includes assessment of matters such as noise, lighting, traffic, water, vegetation, bushfire and emissions, with measures proposed to appropriately manage impacts during construction and operations.
WDDP is a proposed development and remains subject to relevant local and State assessment and approval processes.
A development application has been lodged with Western Downs Regional Council and is available on the Council’s website.
Council will run a formal public notification period as part of its assessment, during which anyone can make a submission.
Project updates, including information about the public notification process, will also be published on the WDDP website.
Frequently asked questions
Careers
We will be actively recruiting for a range of roles to support the Western Downs Digital Park over the coming months, with further details to be shared as opportunities become available.
In the meantime, if you are interested in future opportunities with the project, please send your CV and area of interest to: careers@zerradc.com
How can I stay informed?
Those interested in the project are encouraged to inquire with us directly:
engagement@urbis.com.au or
1800 271 009
Media enquiries
For press queries, reach out to:
Caroline Streeter
GRACosway
+61 402 170 901
Nick Howe
GRACosway
+61 402 183 221