Queensland Data Centres Council calls for a coordinated approach to AI and digital infrastructure with industry input to maximise Australia’s ability to capture the economic benefits of AI and secure investment and jobs in sovereign data centre capacity.
The Queensland Data Centres Council’s (QDCC) practical and constructive submission to the Australian Parliament’s Joint Select Committee Inquiry into Artificial Intelligence (AI) recommends strengthening Australia’s sovereign AI capability and positioning the nation as a beneficiary of the next wave of digital infrastructure investment.
At the centre of QDCC’s submission is a simple principle: AI cannot be considered separately from the physical infrastructure required to future proof of economy. We all love our streaming services and using our devices to communicate with our friends and family – no matter where they are around the world.
To do this, AI requires more computing capacity, secure data storage, reliable energy, connectivity, cooling infrastructure and appropriately located data centres. QDCC highlights that these assets are increasingly becoming core economic infrastructure, alongside energy, water, transport and telecommunications.
Real opportunity for Australia to step up
The scale of this new opportunity is impressive, with Westpac’s Powering the AI Economy analysis notes that Australia’s data centre investment pipeline is estimated at more than $155 billion, contribute around $75 billion to GDP and support around 400,000 jobs through the construction phase alone.
Capturing this investment requires a coordinated framework with best practice planning for energy, water, land use and infrastructure and recognition of the strategic importance of keeping Australian data and computing capability onshore. Consistent standards provide investors and communities with confidence benefits can be realized and that sovereignty and development align with Australia’s national interests.
How Queensland and its regions stand to benefit
QDCC’s submission highlights an opportunity for AI infrastructure investment to extend beyond Australia’s major capital cities and into the regions. Queensland as Australia’s most decentralised state, offers industrial hubs, energy and water networks and a regional workforce to create opportunities for strategically located data centres and supporting infrastructure. Regional development will deliver construction, engineering and other jobs and procurement opportunities across the supply chain. Ongoing operations and maintenance employment will also be on offer.
AI and data centres provide a platform to improve access to digital services increasingly used for health, education, agriculture and government services – and spread the benefits outside metropolitan areas. This creates an opportunity to treat digital infrastructure not simply as a technology issue, but as a driver of broader regional economic development and wealth creation.
Building sovereign AI capability
Data sovereignty forms another major component of QDCC’s recommendations. As AI becomes embedded across government, healthcare, defence, resources, agriculture and other critical industries, where Australian data is stored and processed is increasingly important. Australia needs genuine, commercially accessible alternatives to offshore hyperscale computing. QDCC’s submission highlights Australian-based GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS), AI-as-a-Service and AI Factory infrastructure, which allows organisations to access high-performance computing without building dedicated infrastructure themselves.
This could enable sensitive Australian datasets and intellectual property to remain subject to Australian law and jurisdiction while still giving organisations access to the computing power required to develop sophisticated AI systems. QDCC calls for procurement policies to recognise accredited Australian sovereign compute providers and appropriate security standards when purchasing AI and cloud services.
Creating the workforce behind the AI economy
The growth of AI infrastructure will create demand for skills extending far beyond traditional IT roles. QDCC identifies opportunities across electrical and mechanical engineering, construction, facilities management, cybersecurity, networking, systems operations and specialist technical fields.
High-density AI computing is creating emerging skills requirements in areas such as GPU cluster operations and liquid-cooled data centre infrastructure. Addressing the gap between existing education and training pathways and emerging occupations is critical if Australia wants AI’s economic benefits to remain onshore.
Sustainable growth must remain part of the equation
Like all of our industries – new AI infrastructure inevitably raises questions about energy, water and land use. Rather than focusing on negative, QDCC advocates for a net-positive approach where AI resource requirements are considered alongside AI’s efficiency and productivity gains delivered across the economy.
The submission points to opportunities for AI to improve cooling efficiency, optimise electricity grids, improve HVAC performance, streamline logistics and reduce energy consumption in industrial processes. Community engagement is critical, with meaningful consultation, social impact assessment and community benefit frameworks an integral part of digital infrastructure development.
An industry-government collaboration for Australia’s AI future
Ultimately, QDCC is advocating for collaboration rather than regulation developed in isolation. We need an industry-led Australian AI Committee, bringing together government, industry and technical expertise to help develop practical frameworks for AI and the infrastructure supporting it.
QDCC argues that future regulation should be developed through a bottom-up approach informed by those designing, building, operating and supporting Australia’s digital infrastructure. The objective is not simply to build more data centres, it’s to establish the infrastructure, skills, regulatory environment and sovereign capability required for Australia to stand strong in the global AI economy. With the right policies, Queensland and Australia can attract significant investment, create highly skilled jobs, strengthen national resilience and ensure the economic benefits of AI extend across metropolitan, regional, rural and remote communities.
QDCC stands ready to work with government, industry and communities to help develop the infrastructure and policy settings required to support Australia’s next generation of digital growth.
Read the full submission
QDCC’s submission is published as Submission 328 as part of the Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence inquiry. View the Parliament of Australia submissions page.
Source: QDCC Submission 328 to the Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence, September 2026.