As Melbourne’s digital economy continues to expand, the demand for data centres is reshaping the city’s industrial and infrastructure landscape. Once concentrated within traditional industrial precincts, data centre development is increasingly influencing land use planning, investment strategies and the growth of new digital corridors across the metropolitan region. Driven by advances in cloud computing, artificial intelligence and the growing need for data sovereignty, these facilities are becoming a critical foundation of Australia’s future economic and technological competitiveness.

The session will examine how Melbourne’s data centre market is evolving and explore the factors influencing where and how future facilities are developed. It will consider the role of industrial land, power availability, connectivity, planning frameworks and long-term infrastructure investment in supporting continued growth. As demand for digital infrastructure accelerates, the discussion will highlight how Melbourne can balance expansion, sustainability and innovation to establish itself as a leading hub for the next generation of digital development.