Wagga and regional areas need to stay open to new industries, not be NIMBYs

Key points

• Regional communities face a dilemma as they resist new industries like data centres and renewable energy projects while struggling with financial sustainability. In Wagga Wagga, a $15 billion data centre proposal has sparked petitions over concerns about pollution, farmland loss, and impacts on services.
• Yass Valley Council has also opposed data centres, citing water and land availability issues, despite its own financial crisis.
• As land and housing become scarce in metropolitan areas, regional centres like Albury, Wagga Wagga, Goulburn, and Canberra are attracting more interest from industries.