In a groundbreaking move among hyperscale cloud providers in Australia, Microsoft’s latest data center facility in Kemps Creek, Western Sydney, incorporated a Land Acknowledgement as part of its engagement with the local Indigenous culture.

To construct a future-oriented facility while honoring history and present traditions, it is essential to cultivate deep collaboration. Indigital, an Indigenous-owned profit-for-purpose organisation, plays a pivotal role in bridging essential infrastructure with First Nations Country and Culture.

Through close collaboration with the Dharug people, the Traditional Custodians of the land where the data center is located, Indigital also actively contributed to the exterior artwork and landscape design of the site.

Cabrogal woman Mikaela Jade, Founder and CEO of Indigital, led the project bringing together members of the Dharug Nation to be involved in the ‘Connecting with Country’ process.

The process was aligned with the Government Architect NSW’s Connecting with Country draft framework, created to help develop connections with Country to inform the planning, design and delivery of built environment projects in the state.

Indigital facilitated weekly constructive and collaborative meetings, which incorporated traditional Indigenous practices and their role in future development, over an eight-month period.

The project marked the first time that the Cabrogal Clan and wider Dharug Nation had met on Country in more than 100 years.

“We came together on Country, spoke to ancestral beings, imagined what Country was like before colonisation and imagined colour schemes, stories and relationships,”

“We also brought that forward to the present and explored how traditional owners and custodians interpret Country now and imagined what this site will be like in 40 years’ time.”

Dharug woman, Traditional Custodian and Knowledge Holder Julie Bukari Webb said the project ensured Indigenous ways, traditions and perspectives don’t get lost in new builds of critical infrastructure.

“I’m really proud of how we’ve come together in love and unity to create a lot of joy and understanding,” Webb said.

“The artwork we created captures all of that in a bundle that will be represented at the Microsoft Kemps Creek Data Centre.”

New digital skills for the local community

Microsoft’s latest data center not only signifies a significant capital investment but also demonstrates a long-term commitment to the local community, particularly in Kemps Creek, Western Sydney, where it is expected to fuel job growth.

The company projects that the construction of new data centers in Australia will create around 4,575 job opportunities and involve approximately 18.6 million work hours.

Microsoft aims to prioritise local contractors by filling 25 to 30% of these positions. Upon reaching full operational capacity, the data centers in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria are anticipated to employ around 300 full-time staff members.

In addition to the data center construction, Microsoft has extended its collaboration with Indigital in Western Sydney this year, particularly through the Indigital Schools program.

The initiative facilitates the connection between Elders and primary and secondary school students, fostering the sharing of cultural knowledge, history, and traditions. and is currently implemented in 20 schools across Western Sydney, benefitting over 500 students.

Recognising Indigenous land rights, ensuring cultural sensitivity and respect, and providing economic opportunity for Indigenous people have been key considerations for Microsoft during the project.

Steven Worrall, Managing Director at Microsoft Australia and New Zealand, said: “We have a strong commitment to deep learning in Indigenous ways of being, knowing and doing,”

“In the spirit of collaborating and listening, Microsoft is proud to work with Indigital and Dharug Nation Traditional Custodians to reflect Indigenous connection to Country at our Kemps Creek Data Centre.” Worrall, said

“We’re excited by the demand we’re seeing from customers for Azure in Australia, including unprecedented interest in our cutting-edge AI workloads.,”

“We are also continuing to invest to meet the capacity requirements, but in a way that meets our ambitious sustainability goals and investments in the communities in which we operate,” he said.