SpaceX has reached a binding commitment for roughly $40 billion in financing for AI chips and related data centre equipment, according to a regulatory filing. An entity managed by Apollo Global Management will buy the hardware and lease it to SpaceX over about five to five-and-a-quarter years. SpaceX expects the deal to close by year-end, with leases starting in the first half of 2027. The company's chief financial officer said the lease diversifies its funding sources. Elon Musk said debt markets have largely closed to AI cloud firms without other major revenue streams.
Opposition to data centres is emerging as an unusual point of agreement among Republican and Democratic voters in the United States. Pew Research Center data show the share of Republicans saying data centres harm nearby residents' quality of life rose from 24 per cent to 42 per cent between January and August 2026. Most new facilities are planned in rural areas, many in states won by Donald Trump in 2024. Trump has strongly backed data centre expansion, while Texas Governor Greg Abbott has called for sweeping restrictions.
Independent Member for Braddon Craig Garland has launched a statewide survey seeking Tasmanian views on artificial intelligence and data centres. He says the issues are a topic of global conversation and that it is important to hear from the community.
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The City of Whittlesea has called for a moratorium on data centre approvals until new Victorian Government planning reforms are finalised and built into planning schemes. The council resolved the position at its meeting on 20 October 2026. It will write to the Victorian Premier and ministers seeking greater transparency, stronger planning controls and meaningful consultation. The council also opposes the State Government's use of the Development Facilitation Program to approve a data centre at 525 McDonalds Road, South Morang, and wants a hold on the current application at 165 Williamsons Road, South Morang.
NEXTDC shares fell 42 per cent in a single day after the company said delays in getting power to its inner-west Melbourne data centre expansion would cut its future earnings by a third. The delays followed residents in Yarraville blocking power company Jemena's crews from working in Sanderson Street, forcing them to abandon the holes they had dug. Separately, the planned listing of AI data centre company Firmus, valued at about $44 billion, fell apart after large investors refused to pay $11 a share.
NEXTDC's market value dropped by around $3 billion after energy provider Jemena paused installing power poles needed for its West Footscray data centre in Melbourne. The plunge came less than two weeks after Firmus Technologies withdrew its public listing plans. Local residents have raised concerns about diesel storage, noise and the power works. Analysts say community support is now a key issue for data centre operators. One adviser urged caution for investors, saying future expectations should not be priced too heavily into today's market value.
Shares in NextDC, one of Australia's largest data centre builders, collapsed by 40% after the company said delays at its flagship Melbourne site would mean revenue falls short of forecasts. The delays followed community concerns about its M3 expansion in Footscray, which led electricity distributor Jemena to pause construction of large power poles. Investors are also worried about rising costs, higher borrowing expenses, fast-ageing AI chips and community resistance to data centres. Other data centre firms have also faced setbacks, including Firmus cancelling its listing for lack of demand.
ACT independent Senator David Pocock has accused the federal Labor government of being starstruck by artificial intelligence firms. He has proposed a 5 per cent levy on AI data centre revenue in Australia, which he says would raise more than $500 million by the end of 2030 if started next January. Pocock said the Parliamentary Budget Office had costed the model. He cited Microsoft's Australian data centre business, which reported $2.3 billion in local revenue but paid no company tax. He also warned that creators' copyright could be sacrificed for AI training, and called for more independents in Parliament.
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang has set out a vision for Europe built on robotics, AI agents and modular data centres. Speaking at Nvidia's conference in Berlin, he said Europe could both use and produce artificial intelligence. His first major announcement was a pre-assembled data centre unit called the DSX Pod, which he said could be running within 14 days. Huang also named humanoid robotics as the next major industry and said Europe was well placed to lead it. Two Greenpeace protesters interrupted the speech with a banner.
Independent ACT senator David Pocock has proposed a five per cent tax on the local revenue of artificial intelligence data centres, starting January 1, 2027. He made the proposal in a National Press Club address in Canberra, arguing that large companies pay little or no company tax. The Parliamentary Budget Office estimates the policy could raise about $400 million within three years, though it said the figures are highly uncertain. The Australian Academy of Science welcomed the proposal, which Pocock said would support homegrown technology firms.
Whittlesea council has called for a moratorium on data centre approvals. At its October 20 meeting, councillor Jarrod Lappin moved the motion, which also expresses disapproval of the state government's use of the developer facilitation program. The program approved a data centre at McDonalds Road, South Morang, which council had objected to in 2024. Mayor Lawrie Cox said he was absolutely disgusted with the planning minister's process. Hume and Melton councils are also calling for a moratorium, and Whittlesea has urged other councils to follow suit. Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny was contacted for comment.
Senator David Pocock has advocated for a 5% levy on data centres, aiming to raise $500 million by 2030. He criticised the government's focus on foreign AI companies, arguing it overlooks community concerns. Pocock proposed a coalition of independents to form a minority government, emphasising long-term, evidence-based solutions. He praised Independent MP Helen Haines, who remains in critical condition after an alleged attack. Pocock warned of Australia becoming a 'global data laundering hotspot' without stronger copyright protections.
South Morang residents are worried that two proposed data centres will not be covered by new state government safeguards. The government announced on 22 September that new data centre proposals must meet requirements including renewable energy, a 150-metre buffer from homes and community consultation. The rules will not apply to applications already under assessment or approved, including two for South Morang. Campaign founder Karol Metelovski said residents feel excluded from developing the safeguards. A petition opposing the developments has more than 5000 signatures.
Shares of NextDC, Australia's largest listed data centre developer, fell 40.2 per cent to an eight-year low of $5.48 in early trading on Wednesday. The company said community opposition led power operator Jemena to suspend electricity grid work at its M3 data centre in West Footscray. Jemena has told NextDC it does not intend to resume work before February. NextDC has removed the affected M3 contracts from its 2026/27 earnings guidance and plans to cut capital expenditure by $750 million.
Anthropic is reportedly having trouble securing enough cloud capacity from AWS, Google and Microsoft. According to a leaked S-1 filing reported by The Wall Street Journal, these providers increasingly view the AI company as a competitor rather than a customer. The filing says Anthropic believes it could spend more than $750 billion on cloud contracts, some still under negotiation. The company reported an $80.7 billion net loss in the first half of the year on $16.3 billion in revenue. Anthropic is reportedly targeting a November IPO.
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Shares in data centre operator NextDC fell more than 40 per cent on Wednesday after returning to trade following a suspension. The ASX200 still finished the day in positive territory. Reserve Bank deputy Andrew Hauser said the central bank faces tough choices, as a growing share of businesses think higher inflation may be the new normal. This has raised expectations of a rate hike in November.
Community members have told a court that the combined impacts of several gas plants planned for data centres in Moss Vale are being ignored. Seven residents gave evidence at the site on Tuesday, opening a three-day hearing in the Land and Environment Court. The court is considering developer Nakar Property's appeal against a council refusal of a 16-megawatt gas-fired plant and battery storage system. Speakers argued the project should be assessed as a whole, and raised concerns about Aboriginal heritage consultation and pollutant health effects.
Australia's corporate regulator is making routine inquiries into AI developer Firmus after it abandoned a planned $44 billion stock market listing in October. The regulator's enforcement director said no formal investigation is under way. Firmus plans data centres across Australia, including three in Tasmania. A Launceston centre is under construction and a George Town centre has been approved, with a Wesley Vale application still in progress. The company is appealing conditions limiting diesel generators at George Town. Hydro Tasmania is expected to decide on a 450MW power request by the end of the year.
