Anthropic has signed its first Australian deal, agreeing to take space within a proposed $32 billion data centre complex on Queensland’s Western Downs, in what would rank as the largest facility of its kind in the country.

The campus, to be built near Dalby by Singaporean developer Zerra DC, spans roughly 725 hectares and carries a power requirement equivalent to around 1.5 million average Australian households. Anthropic is targeting a 2027 start date for its operations there, even though the development application was only filed with Western Downs Regional Council last month and the lease remains subject to Foreign Investment Review Board approval.

Anthropic intends to use the site to run its Claude AI assistant for user queries rather than for model training, a distinction that shapes the facility’s operational profile and its ongoing power demands.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli tied the announcement directly to a recent trade mission to the United States, framing it as a direct result of that visit and arguing the investment would push additional energy into the grid while helping to lower power prices for consumers. Under the terms agreed, Anthropic would meet the full cost of connecting to the electricity network, including any necessary upgrades. The company will also be required to invest in local communities and appoint an engagement manager to keep residents and councils informed as the project progresses.

The development has not been without friction. Federal Maranoa MP David Littleproud welcomed the investment but stressed that power costs and reliability for existing homes, farms and businesses must not be compromised in order to get the project over the line. Farmers’ group ‘Save Our Darling Downs’ raised concerns about the facility’s energy consumption, the prospect of gas-fired generation and potential impacts on local aquifers from expanded coal seam gas activity.

Western Downs Mayor Andrew Smith described the deal as “interesting” and noted that talk of around 1,000 jobs would bring genuine opportunity to the region, while cautioning that the project remains far from finalised with the planning application still under assessment.

The investment is estimated at nearly five times the infrastructure budget for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games and the facility is expected to take between four and six years to complete once approvals are secured.