Solving Data Center Demands: Australia's Macquarie and OCP

Rob Coyle sits down with David Hirst, CEO of Macquarie Data Centres, for a deep look at the rapid changes shaping data centers in the age of AI. David shares why Australia’s sovereign approach matters, how AI workloads are shifting design from “real estate” to “chip-out thinking,” and why early collaboration across hyperscalers, government, and the supply chain is becoming essential. They explore the unique nature of the Australian market, the rise of liquid cooling and megawatt-per-rack designs, what it takes to build IC3 Super West, and how culture, regulation, and geopolitics all influence where and how AI infrastructure gets built. A thoughtful conversation for anyone working in AI infrastructure, colocation, hyperscale strategy, or global data centre planning. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction 00:27 – Why Australia Is a Prime Data Centre Hub 01:52 – How AI Changed Everything 03:23 – Planning for Bursty, Unpredictable AI Workloads 04:28 – Liquid Cooling and Blurred Boundaries 06:17 – What Makes the Australian Market Different 08:35 – Building in Dense Cities and Working With Communities 10:12 – AI, Culture, and Data Sovereignty 11:22 – Local Requirements and Power Challenges 12:57 – Long-Term Operators vs Short-Term Developers 16:20 – Compliance as a Market Advantage 18:45 – The Critical Role of Data Centres in Modern Life 20:22 – Inside IC3 Super West 21:56 – Designing for a Fast-Changing Future 23:51 – Why AI Behaves Differently Than Cloud 26:43 – The Rise of CDU Innovation 28:09 – Building for 2030 and Beyond 33:27 – What Keeps David Optimistic