Series
The cost of the cloud: Inside Australia’s data centre boom
Hundreds of billions of dollars are being spent building data centres all over the planet, as all of us flock to AI. But at what cost?
- Exclusive
- Melbourne
The energy vampire next door: Life next to an AI mega-factory
Billions of dollars are pouring into data centres to fuel the AI revolution but residents and experts warn the state is ignoring the hidden cost to power, water and peace.
- Clay Lucas and Daniella White
- Exclusive
$1b data centre given planning tick in just 75 days as state gets cosy with big tech
Victoria fast-tracked a $1b data centre in Port Melbourne through planning in 75 days, as its jobs minister met technology chiefs 16 times in 2025, as the state goes all in on big tech.
- Clay Lucas and Daniella White
Melbourne is turning ‘rust-bucket’ suburbs into a thirsty, power-hungry billion-dollar data empire
The rush is raising questions about the strain of the power-hungry facilities on the state’s electricity and water supply.
- Daniella White
- Exclusive
‘Not possible’: Data centre frenzy threatens to overwhelm Victoria’s power grid
A leading energy expert has warned Victorians’ electricity bills could rocket unless the state government acts now.
- Daniella White
$840m desal expansion tipped as Melbourne faces AI water drain
Rainfall shortages and thirsty data centres have the government looking for long-term answers.
- Daniella White and Kieran Rooney
- Analysis
Why the AI boom is unlike the dot-com boom
Silicon Valley is in the middle of an artificial intelligence boom with obvious resemblances to the 1990s dot-com era.
- David Streitfeld
Amazon boosts Australian investment to $20 billion to meet AI, data demands
The global tech giant will boost its investment in Australia to $20 billion by 2029 to meet surging demand for access to artificial intelligence, web storage and hosting, and more.
- James Massola
Other series
Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2026
This year’s laugh fest has kicked off, with more than 2000 performers stepping up to the mic. Here, our writers take a closer look
- 7 stories
Hate of origin: Inside football’s most intense rivalry
Essendon and Hawthorn have hated each other for more than 40 years, from some old-fashioned thuggery and a fake drug scandal in the mid-80s to last year’s failed bid by the Hawks to poach the Bombers’ captain.
- 5 stories