State Government Advocacy on a Queensland Pilot to Regulate Data Centres - Location, Energy Use and Treated Wastewater Cooling - and State Funding for Council-Delivered Lifeguard Services to Reduce Coastal Drownings · 2026-09-17 Notice of Motion - Cr Lorentson - QLD Pilot to Regulate Data Centres & State Funding for Council Delivered Lifeguard Services

COUNCILLOR COMMENT
On 9 September 2026, the LGAQ Chief Executive Officer advised that both motions were received
after the Motions Portal had closed and, assessed against the LGAQ's Motions Protocol, did not
meet the submission deadline for acceptance as urgent motions. Neither motion will therefore
proceed to debate at this year's Annual Conference and AGM. Missing the deadline is a timing and
process outcome, not a reflection on the merit of either matter — both remain genuinely urgent:
national rules for data centres are expected to be legislated by early 2027, closing Queensland's
window to influence water sourcing requirements, and Queensland's coastal drowning toll is at a ten-
year high, with coastal councils currently locking in this season's patrol coverage. The LGAQ has
offered to refer the data centres matter to its Policy Executive following the Conference, and Council
intends to pursue both issues directly with the State Government in the meantime. The full text of
both motions is retained below, and in the attachments, to support that referral and direct advocacy.


MOTION 1 – IN FULL
Title of motion: Developing a model code for data centres – a Queensland pilot
Motion: That the LGAQ calls on the State Government to develop a model code for data centres,
addressing key issues such as location, water use and energy consumption.
Large data centres require enormous volumes of water for cooling, and this demand is usually met
from drinking water supplies. As more data centres are approved across Queensland, there is a
significant opportunity to redirect some of that demand to treated wastewater instead, protecting
drinking water for a growing population while making productive use of water that is currently
discharged to the environment. However, the window to secure this outcome through national policy
is closing quickly.
On 26 August 2026, National Cabinet agreed to set mandatory national rules for data centres,
covering energy, water use and location, with legislation expected by early 2027. Once those rules
are set, Queensland will have far less say in how they work, including whether they push data centres
toward wastewater rather than drinking water.
This is not a theoretical concern. A $31.9 billion data centre, expected to be Australia's largest, is
currently being assessed near Dalby, and its water plan, including whether it will draw on drinking
water or recycled wastewater, has not yet been finalised. The outcome of that assessment is likely
to set a precedent for future projects across the state.
LGAQ has previously passed general motions on wastewater reuse, in 2022 and 2024, both
submitted by me and endorsed by full Council, but neither addressed this issue with such specificity.
This motion asks the State to develop a dedicated model code, in partnership with councils,
addressing the location, cooling methods and energy use of data centres, so that the protection of
drinking water supplies becomes a standard consideration in project assessment rather than an
afterthought.
Noosa currently discharges 8–12 megalitres of treated wastewater into the ocean via Burgess Creek
every day. Unitywater's Wamuran scheme demonstrates that this water can be productively reused:
it irrigates local farms and reduces pollution in the Caboolture River. Burgess Creek presents a
similar opportunity to convert a waste product into a resource, while easing pressure on drinking
water supplies.
Accordingly, this motion also asks Council to investigate working with Unitywater, through the
Burgess Creek Integrated Catchment Management Plan already underway, to explore whether a
pilot project, potentially involving Sunshine Coast Council and Seqwater, could help shape the
national rules before they are finalised.