The Pulse
Anthropic signs agreement to use proposed $32 billion Queensland data centre
Anthropic has signed an agreement to use part of a proposed data centre hub near Dalby, Queensland, subject to planning and foreign investment approvals.
AI.info Team ·
Anthropic has signed an agreement to use part of a proposed A$32 billion data centre hub near Dalby in Queensland, putting the Claude developer at the centre of Australia’s largest planned computing project while the site still awaits planning approval.
Singaporean developer Zerra DC proposes building the Western Downs Digital Park on about 725 hectares of land on Queensland’s Western Downs. The project remains before the Western Downs Regional Council, and Anthropic’s lease is subject to approval from Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board. ABC News reported the agreement on September 16, 2026.
Anthropic aims to begin using the centre in 2027, although the development application was filed with the local council only last month. The full facility is expected to take four to six years to build, creating a long gap between the company’s planned use of the site and completion of the wider project.
Anthropic’s Claude would use the site for inference
The agreement marks Anthropic’s first data centre deal in Australia. ABC News understands the company intends to use the Queensland site to run Claude and answer user questions rather than train its AI models.
That distinction matters for the project’s operating profile. Training large models requires concentrated bursts of computing, while answering user requests involves running models repeatedly as customers submit prompts and applications call Claude. Anthropic has not publicly described the technical capacity it would take at the site, and the company did not provide a comment to ABC News.
The Western Downs project is designed to draw power comparable to the consumption of about 1.5 million average Australian households.
David Crisafulli calls the agreement a Queensland win
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said the deal followed his recent trade mission to the United States, where he met Anthropic. He presented the project as evidence that the state’s energy resources and planning approach could attract large technology investments.
“This is a major win that will deliver more jobs, put more energy into Queensland’s grid and drive down power prices for Queenslanders,”
David Crisafulli, Queensland premier
Crisafulli said his meeting with Anthropic focused on Queensland’s energy security, available development sites and approval process. He has also said companies building data centres must add energy to the local grid, a condition intended to prevent new facilities from placing the full burden of their demand on existing consumers.
The state government says the digital park would not require new transmission infrastructure and would use minimal water during operation. It compares the project’s water use with that of a conventional office building of the same size.
Power demand puts the project under political pressure
The agreement has widened Queensland’s debate over how new AI infrastructure should be powered. Federal ministers have pushed for new data centres to be tied to additional renewable generation, while Queensland’s government has argued that the state should be able to use a mix of energy sources, including coal and gas.
The Queensland government and the Commonwealth recently disagreed over rules for new data centre development. The federal Labor government wanted new facilities to be anchored by new renewable energy projects, while the state government argued that Queensland should be able to use a range of energy sources.
Crisafulli said the agreement represented an endorsement of Queensland’s approach to investment, power generation and transmission. He said the project would support data sovereignty, additional energy generation, lower power prices and employment opportunities.
Planning approval is the immediate test
Federal Maranoa MP David Littleproud welcomed the project but said it must deliver genuine, lasting benefits for the local community. He said power reliability and costs for existing homes, farmers and businesses could not be sacrificed to secure the project.
Western Downs Mayor Andrew Smith said the project was not yet a completed deal because the council’s planning team was still assessing the application. Anthropic would be required to invest in local communities and appoint an engagement manager to hear concerns from residents and councils.
Environmental groups have raised concerns about the effect of additional coal-seam-gas activity on regional aquifers, arguing that a facility of this scale could intensify pressure on the area’s water and energy systems. The Queensland government says the proposed centre can operate with limited water use and without new transmission lines, but those claims will be tested through approvals and detailed project design.
Save Our Darling Downs spokesperson and farmer Liza Balmain said the community was concerned about the project’s energy consumption and the possibility that it could run on gas-fired power generation. She also raised concerns about the effect of increased coal-seam-gas production on the region’s aquifers.
For Anthropic, the agreement secures a foothold in a country where it has expanded through a Sydney office, government cooperation on AI safety and research partnerships. For Queensland, the next concrete step is not construction: it is whether the Western Downs Regional Council and the Foreign Investment Review Board approve the arrangement.