Framing in real time
Would you mind if a data centre was built in your suburb?
The Cave, of course, does not have to worry about such things. But plenty of others are having to contemplate this very real possibility. In fact, building new data centres has dominated political discourse this week.
Internal emails from Anthropic revealed the company was seeking to speak to the NSW government about locating 5 gigawatts of data centres. Which is a lot.
Then, national cabinet met to consider new water and energy rules, following firm words from Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen on renewable energy requirements for data centres.
The government is understandably attempting to cash in on a major infrastructure and investment boom while managing the potential for significant public backlash.
According to the Australian Energy Market Operator, there are 225 datacentres in development right now. And it turns out people don’t love that.
New research found that just 30% of Aussies thought more data centres would be good for the country, while less than a quarter (23%) said they would support a data centre being built in their area.
So far, so predictable. What’s really noticeable, however, is how few people have any clue what to think. Almost four in ten (38%) said they were either neutral or didn’t know if data centres would be good for Australia, while 33% said they neither supported or opposed one being built in their area. It’s like asking anyone who isn’t a child or a parent what an ooshie is - they have no reason to know, despite the significant economic impact they’ve had.
The opportunity to frame this debate is enormous.
Separate research found that onshoring data, creating jobs, supporting digital services, helping the country compete in AI, and strengthening national security were all messages that would cause more than half of respondents to support new data centre construction.
Stakeholders on both sides of this discussion have a huge, persuadable audience and a ticking clock. Who can frame the debate?