Melbourne Residents Halt Data Centre Power Pole Construction with Protest

Residents in Melbourne's inner west have successfully halted the construction of industrial power poles, originally intended to support a new data centre, by using bins and cars to blockade the worksite. The protest, which took place on Sanderson Street in Yarraville, occurred in August after locals were tipped off by a construction worker about the impending installation.

The power poles in question are 15-metre-tall concrete structures capable of carrying over 66,000 volts of electricity, significantly higher than typical street power poles. Residents felt blindsided by the development, which was planned to support the existing NextDC data centre in neighbouring West Footscray, with further expansions planned in the area.

"We were all just really caught off guard and just felt like it was really unfair that we weren't told about what was happening," said resident Katrina Dardha. Another local, Milco Bogoevski, added, "Everyone decided this is not happening on our watch." On the day construction crews arrived, residents strategically parked vehicles and placed bins to obstruct access to the site, leading to the crews eventually leaving without completing the work.

Jemena, the electricity distributor, stated that the new poles were part of a network upgrade to "help support Melbourne's growing energy needs." However, residents have voiced ongoing concerns about a lack of communication regarding both the data centres and their supporting infrastructure. Paul Tyndale, a resident of nearby Spotswood, discovered the new data centre was less than half a kilometre from his home only after a tradie informed him.

Local independent candidate Jess Marsh, who has become a spokesperson for the community, criticized the process. "It’s another example of the inner west being treated as a dumping ground," Marsh said, adding that "corporate interests [are being] fast-tracked without proper consideration for impact on local community."

Labor MP for Footscray, Katie Hall, acknowledged the residents' concerns, questioning the necessity of routing such infrastructure through residential streets and suggesting undergrounding as an alternative. Jemena, however, maintained that augmenting the existing overhead network was deemed the "most efficient and practical way" to deliver the required electricity.

Independent Senator David Pocock has also voiced criticism, suggesting that the federal government has encouraged significant investment in data centres without adequate regulatory oversight. "We're seeing dozens and dozens of data centres being approved with basically no guardrails," Pocock stated, highlighting instances where data centres are being built in close proximity to residential areas.