This timely and frank panel discussion will bring together leading environmental law academics and practitioners to dig into the legal dimensions of Australia’s data centre challenge. They will examine:

• How communities are using planning and environmental law to contest data centre developments
• What the proposed national standards could and should look like
• Whether existing national and state frameworks for environmental assessment, water law, biodiversity protection, and First Nations rights are fit for data centres. Does the general environmental duty make a difference?
• What meaningful community consultation and consent might look like in practice
• What lessons Australia can draw from international experience
• Whether debates about data centres are exposing deeper flaws in our environmental laws

Data centres are infrastructure that will influence Australia’s energy future, water security, climate trajectory, and the character of our communities for decades to come. The legal frameworks we build — or fail to build — right now will determine whether that future is equitable and sustainable.