Data centres and AI are transforming our economy, and they are creating a new and rapidly growing demand for water. The Maribyrnong catchment is already home to a significant concentration of data centres, with more proposed as Melbourne's western suburbs continue to grow.

At the same time, the Maribyrnong River and its tributaries remain one of Victoria's most flow-stressed catchments. Despite commitments dating back to 2006 to return environmental water to the river, many of these promises remain undelivered. Native fish, platypus, waterbirds, wetlands and culturally significant waterways continue to suffer from reduced flows, while climate change and growing competition for water place increasing pressure on an already stressed catchment.

For thousands of generations they have been recognised by Traditional Owners as living entities that sustain Country, culture and communities. As new industries emerge, they must be planned in a way that protects, not sacrifice the health of our waterways.

We are calling for urgent action to:

Deliver the environmental water that has long been promised to the Maribyrnong River.
Require data centres to use recycled water and stormwater instead of drinking water wherever possible.
Improve transparency by publicly reporting peak, seasonal and annual water consumption by major industrial users.
Ensure data centres contribute to the cost of the recycled water infrastructure needed to service their operations, and pay tariffs for upgrades to the wider water grid, rather than shifting those costs onto the broader community.

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