Perth Construction, Tech Firms Win Early AI Data Centre Contracts

A $1.2 billion data centre proposal for the Osborne Park industrial precinct reached preliminary approval on 8 July, with three Perth-based contractors already awarded site preparation packages worth $180 million combined.

The timing follows national scrutiny over data centre energy use and water consumption, yet Perth’s access to gas-fired and solar capacity gives projects here a cost edge that eastern states sites lack. State planning documents released last month list 2027 as the target for first server racks to go live at the 12-hectare site.

Early contract winners

Perth firm BMD Constructions has taken the civil works package for the Osborne Park site, while East Perth-based Georgiou Group secured the structural steel supply contract. Both companies have opened recruitment drives for 120 trades roles to start in September. A third local operator, Monadelphous, is supplying electrical fit-out crews after signing a letter of intent on 3 July.

The University of Western Australia’s Crawley campus is providing modelling support for cooling systems under a separate research agreement signed in June. City of Stirling planners confirmed the project will draw power from the nearby 330 kV substation, avoiding the grid constraints reported in Melbourne and Sydney developments.

Numbers behind the pipeline

Industry estimates released by the Western Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry put total data centre capital expenditure in the Perth metropolitan area at $2.8 billion through 2029. Average land lease rates in Osborne Park have risen from $185 per square metre in 2024 to $265 this quarter. One project already under construction in Malaga is on track to consume 45 MW once fully commissioned in late 2027.

Businesses seeking to enter the supply chain can register with the state’s Industry Participation Program by 31 August. The next round of tender briefings for ancillary works is scheduled for 22 July at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.