Sovereignty 1 rack in 2
The Victorian Compute Reservation
Every new large-scale data centre approved in Victoria must reserve at least 50% of its compute capacity — one rack in every two — for Australian customers: our researchers, hospitals, universities, startups and public services, at independently regulated, fair rates. Within that reservation, 10% of the facility's total capacity is provided free of charge to Victorian government services and public education — schools, TAFEs and universities — so the state that hosts the machines never has to rent back their benefit.
Why it matters — Without a reservation, Victoria supplies the land, water and power while every processing cycle serves offshore customers. Half the capacity working for Australians is the difference between hosting the intelligence age and merely paying its bills.
Community Local jobs + an annual dividend
The Community Benefit Licence
No large data centre operates in Victoria without a Community Benefit Licence: enforceable local-hire targets for construction and operations, at least one in ten build roles filled by apprentices and trainees from the host region — and an annual Community Dividend with real machinery behind it. The dividend is set per megawatt by the independent regulator, indexed, published in full and paid for the entire life of the facility. Half lands as automatic credits on the energy bills of every household in the host area — no forms, no means test. The rest flows into a Community Benefit Fund governed by a local board on which residents and the council hold the majority, granting to the things towns actually ask for: sports clubs, halls, childcare, libraries, pool upgrades, shade trees. The licence also locks in a guaranteed ongoing workforce — permanent local operations jobs for the life of the facility, not just the construction phase — and mandatory community engagement: funded outreach programs into local schools and TAFEs, open days, and STEM partnerships, written into the licence and reported on. Every rebate, grant and program is published, down to the dollar.
Why it matters — The neighbours who live with the build, the noise and the grid load should be the first to feel the benefit — on their own bills and in their own streets, every single year, for as long as the servers hum.
Environment Lie about water, lose your licence
The Water Truth rule — world's-best cooling, honestly reported
Approval requires best-available cooling — closed-loop, immersion or better — with independently metered water and electricity use published every quarter, no potable water for cooling where recycled water is available, and a serious heat-reuse assessment so waste heat warms pools, greenhouses and homes instead of the atmosphere. Not one drop of toxic or contaminated water goes back into our rivers, aquifers or sewers: anything discharged is treated to independently tested standards, with zero tolerance. Any facility that needs water beyond its approved budget must first fund new water infrastructure — recycling plants, stormwater harvesting, storage — that adds more capacity than it takes, so households and farmers are never left short; in any shortage, data centres cut back first and drink last. Every figure is audited against the meters. Misreporting water or power use is an offence that reaches directors personally, and an operator caught lying loses its licence to operate in Victoria — immediately.
Why it matters — Cooling tech is improving fast and we'll back the operators who prove it — but Victoria's water and electricity are a must-protect, not a bargaining chip. Trust is earned at the meter, not in the press release.
Energy Surplus to the community, free
More power in than it takes out
Every data centre must bring enough new-build renewable generation and storage to cover 125% of its maximum possible draw — not its average, its absolute peak, plus a quarter again — before it switches on, so it never leans on the grid households rely on. That means there is always more power than the servers can ever use, and every spare megawatt is handed to the local community free of charge, flowing into the homes, schools and streets around it.
Why it matters — A data centre should make its neighbourhood's power cheaper and more reliable, never scarcer. When the servers idle, the town gets the benefit — not the operator's balance sheet.
People A human, accountable, always
The Humans First Guarantee
No Victorian government decision that affects a person's rights, payments or liberty may be made by AI alone. Every automated system that touches the public gets a named accountable human, a plain-English explanation, and a fast, free right to human review. Social scoring is banned from government procurement outright.
Why it matters — Automation should take the drudgery out of government — never the responsibility. When the computer says no, a Victorian can always ask a person why.
Capability Built here, benefiting here
Sovereign skills and public compute
The reserved compute — including the free 10% share for government, schools, TAFEs and universities — feeds a public-interest allocation for Victorian research, public services and startups. Government procurement weights Australian-owned AI firms, sensitive Victorian public data stays onshore, and TAFE-led programs train the electricians, technicians and engineers the build-out actually employs.
Why it matters — Owning capability beats renting it. A state that can build, train and run its own systems negotiates from strength — and keeps the high-wage jobs at home.
Integrity Every system, on the record
The public AI register
Every AI system used by the Victorian government goes on a public register with its purpose, its accountable owner and its audit history. Independent audits, mandatory incident reporting, and full whistleblower protection for the workers who speak up when systems fail people.
Why it matters — We were founded to keep the powerful honest. That job doesn't stop when the powerful start using algorithms.
Security No surveillance. No atrocities. Ever.
Hard red lines on what runs here
A Compact licence prohibits Victorian data centres from knowingly hosting or powering workloads that drive illegal mass surveillance, enable foreign atrocities or human-rights abuses, or pose a risk to Australia's national security or sovereignty. Operators must vet high-risk customers and attest to what runs on their racks, cooperate with Australian security agencies, and cut off prohibited workloads the moment they're put on notice — with the same penalty ladder as the Water Truth rule: directors personally liable, licence gone.
Why it matters — Our land, our water and our power will never underwrite someone else's police state or war crimes. Sovereignty means deciding not just who profits from our infrastructure — but what it is allowed to do.
