Letters to the Editor
20 May, 2026
Letter to the Editor - Data Centre and Gas Plant
Dear Editor at The Southern Wire. I am a small local business concerned about the current Wingecarribee council and their discussion making.
Dear Editor at Southern Wire,
I am a small local business concerned about the current Wingecarribee council and their discussion making.
None of our councillors or their staff are looking to benefit from forced development coming to our shire.
We have the Data centre expansion with massive gas demands for power supply, but no one has mentioned the water use for cooling it.
Then we have plastic incinerator proposals burning waste.
State government will force some of these developments to happen.
This council should be taking a more pragmatic view and make it a benefit to the Shire.
Imagine if councillors recommend the waste from the expanding data centre in Moss Vale was run in pipes to the Moss Vale War Memorial Pool and a district heating system at the development cost. This service could follow the rail corridor to whites Creek and through to the pool.
The pool run cost is a major burden to this Shire and no one is taking a holistic view or consultation with industry experts.
The recent expansion of the Australian war memorial in Canberra recently had a geothermal installation, saving over $1mill run cost a year. The waste from data centres and or waste burning could be used as a Shire net positive utility.
In time council could use this waste service as a local owned utility creating a positive income.
If we have to have development it must be in a positive way. It will be forced negatively upon us if we don't set the agenda.
Richard Jefford, Southern Highlands.
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