Melbourne's 'Mordor': Residents slam giant AI data centre towering over homes in quiet suburb

Published: 03:58, 12 August 2026 | Updated: 03:59, 12 August 2026 Residents in a quiet Melbourne suburb have dubbed a giant data centre 'Mordor' and claim there has been a lack of transparency about its operation.  Digital infrastructure giant NEXTDC built a 41,000sqm AI data centre in Yarraville, 6km from the CBD, in 2019 and it opened in 2022. The huge structure, just 30 metres from residents' homes, has been nicknamed after Sauron's Mordor from The Lord of the Rings.  Human rights lawyer and independent state election candidate Jess Marsh said locals were upset about the impact of the centre.  'People are pissed off... I think most people are just waking up,' she told news.com.au. 'You're seeing a lot of news out of the US on impacts of this, how it's being rushed through, and (the) huge corporate backing (with) billions of dollars behind this. 'It's another example of the inner west being treated as a dumping ground. It's really hit a nerve.  'We've had a lot of legacy pollution and token consultation where community interests are not prioritised.' NEXTDC AI data centre in West Footscray is known as 'Mordor' to locals  Independent candidate Jess Marsh's video showing the new concrete power poles in the neighbourhood has gone viral While residents have told Ms Marsh they are irritated by the 'hum' from the centre and concerned about what its proximity could mean for their health, the latest complaint relates to how quickly the area is changing because of its presence.  Ms Marsh published a video to social media last week about the latest grievance: the replacement of timber power poles that take energy to the centre with larger concrete ones that tower over homes. 'Quite a lot taller. Quite a lot bigger... It's industrial high voltage power that's going to be going through,' she said. 'The reason for the change on this residential street is related to the substation and the data centres. I don't think many people are gonna be happy about this.' Ms Marsh told the Daily Mail that locals felt there had been limited communication from the Victorian Government about the centres.  'Residents received notice that the poles were being replaced but certainly no notice that they were being replaced with vastly bigger poles,' she said. 'There is an ongoing lack of transparency regarding the fast-tracking of data centre approvals and expansions, and how this will affect the energy grid, the neighbourhood, the environment, air quality and community health and wellbeing.'  West Footscray resident Jacqui Glover, who lives near the data centre, told community newspaper The Westsider the facility had made a major impact.  NEXTDC is one of many data centre companies setting up massive facilities across the country  'It's consuming our day-to-day life - the noise, the construction of the building and it's expanding,' she said in a video on the publication's social media. 'It's a low frequency hum 24 hours a day. They never stop. I really think there needs to be a pause... and a look at why they're getting built quicker than you can get permission to get an extension on your house. 'It's a real concern for not just the people in our community, but people all over Melbourne - Plumpton, Diggers Rest, Fishermans Bend, there are lots of data centres popping up at a very fast rate.' The Daily Mail Australia has approached NEXTDC and the Victorian government for comment.  NEXTDC operates several major data centres across Melbourne, including facilities in Port Melbourne and Tullamarine. The company is planning a facility in Eastern Creek, Sydney, that is expected to be more than twice the size of its West Footscray site. The industry's peak body, the Australian Data Centre Association, says there are currently 162 data centres operating nationally, with about 90 more in the pipeline. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced plans to introduce legal requirements governing AI use and data centres in July.