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How tall are the AI datacentre power poles that sparked a community backlash in Melbourne?

Server networking equipment at the University of Washington in Seattle
File photograph: Server networking equipment at the University of Washington in Seattle. Taylor Vick / Unsplash. Illustrative context, not a photograph of this reported event.
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Compare the concrete masts with their timber predecessors and other structures seen on suburban streets In something of a David v Goliath battle, Australia’s largest datacentre operator has faced a major setback in its plans to double the size of its west Melbourne facility. To expand the size of its M3 datacentre NextDC needs to deliver increased electricity to the site.

The initial approach from the electricity provider Jemena was to upgrade power lines along some suburban streets from shorter timber poles carrying lower voltage lines to taller concrete poles capable of carrying higher voltage lines.

Read the original report at The Guardian.

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The Guardian

Source headline and summary supplied via NewsData.io. First collected by NewsJaws on 2026-10-27. This is an automated news brief, not original NewsJaws reporting. Dates reflect the source publication. Feed delays may apply.

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