Former Ford factory site eyed for massive data center, sparking community debate

The site of Ford's iconic Broadmeadows manufacturing plant, once hailed as the "manufacturing heartland of Australia," is slated for a significant transformation into a $1.1 billion data center. The proposal, dubbed "Project Dune" by Singaporean firm Zerra DC, aims to construct six buildings expected to draw 336MW of power and will take 12 years to complete.

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I always say that we didn't just make Australian-made products, that site helped make Australia.

However, the plan faces apprehension from local residents. Zoe, a former Ford plant employee living across the road from the site, voiced her concerns about the data center's 24-hour operation and the potential disruption during its lengthy construction phase. "I don't think it's a good idea. I don't know how long we're going to live but it's still not a good idea for us to live in this area... and having all those things in and out every day. It's terrible," she stated.

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I had to ask my children what it is. They said something to do with batteries, and they will be working 24 hours a day. I don't think it's a good idea.

Community leaders, like federal member for Calwell Basem Abdo, echo these sentiments, questioning the long-term employment benefits. While Zerra DC projects the creation of 407 jobs annually during construction and 670 annually once operational, Abdo emphasizes the need for projects that offer "a pathway to employment, a pathway to good, secure, well-paying jobs that offer them a career." He expressed dissatisfaction that the current proposal may not meet national standards for long-term job creation, contrasting it with the substantial employment the Ford plant once provided to over 5,000 local workers.

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People need to see that it offers a pathway to employment, a pathway to good, secure, well-paying jobs that offer them a career, which was what this site was about and which is what this site should be about.