Kurri Kurri residents say AirTrunk's $37m fund tied to approval

A Kurri Kurri community group says AirTrunk’s $37 million package of local benefits for its proposed Hunter Region data centre only pays out if the state approves the project, the Newcastle Herald reported on 31 October 2026.

Residents Against Data centres In Kurri Kurri And Loxford, known as RADIKKAL, says the $37 million fund, a $200-a-year power bill rebate and sponsorship of the Kurri Kurri Bulldogs’ junior and women’s programs are each conditional on approval of the data centre, proposed for the former Hydro Aluminium smelter site at Loxford. RADIKKAL spokesperson Graeme Davies said “these are not gifts,” according to the Herald. He said holding the money back until the project is approved does not change that assessment, the Herald reported.

AirTrunk’s head of community, Rob Bartrop, told the Herald the company understood the concern, saying residents’ concerns were legitimate. Cessnock councillors Jessica Jurd and Mitchell Hill spoke at a council meeting on the proposal; Cr Hill said some online claims about the project’s water use were inaccurate, since the facility would be dry-cooled, the Herald reported.

Why it matters

Data centre operators around Australia increasingly pair state significant development applications with local benefit offers, from community batteries to sporting sponsorships, as a way to build social licence for high-energy, high-water projects. RADIKKAL’s complaint is that AirTrunk has structured its Kurri Kurri package so every benefit is contingent on the data centre being approved, turning community goodwill measures into leverage for the application rather than unconditional local investment. Cessnock council has voted unanimously to object and has called for a national freeze on data centre approvals. That objection does not decide the outcome, because the state government, not the council, is the consent authority for the state significant development. AirTrunk’s Kurri Kurri proposal was first covered as a $3.7 billion state significant development lodgement in earlier reporting.

The numbers

AirTrunk’s offer includes a $5 million community battery that the company says would let 5,000 eligible homes join an energy program carrying the $200 annual bill deduction. The company also runs a youth program for about 30 young people aged 14 to 17 a year. A business forum held in Newcastle on the project drew about 60 attendees, the Herald reported. The development application carries the reference SSD-128819490.

What’s next

Public submissions on the state significant development close on 11 November. AirTrunk’s Lang Street drop-in centre in Kurri Kurri stays open until mid-November, the Herald reported. RADIKKAL has its own community forum scheduled for 1pm Sunday at the Senior Citizens Hall, 132 Barton Street, Kurri Kurri. The final decision rests with the state government as the consent authority, not Cessnock council, whose objection the Herald reported was unanimous.