Webinar

AI and the Data Centre Boom: A New Era for Australian Construction

20 November 2025 – 12.00pm AEST (Sydney)

online

Australia’s data centre boom: navigating growth, capacity, and AI impact Australia’s construction sector is being reshaped by the explosive rise of artificial intelligence and the surging demand for data centres.

As investors and policymakers grapple with capacity, supply, and infrastructure challenges, this round table brings together Alex Hooper, Timothy Hibbert, and Dr Nicholas Fearnley to unpack the forces driving this transformation.

They’ll discuss:

What’s behind the remarkable demand for data centres, and how sustainable it is
The risks of capacity bottlenecks, skills shortages, and oversupply
Implications for energy, water, and supporting infrastructure
Why Sydney and Melbourne have become global hotspots
The productivity and workforce impact of AI adoption

Join us for an insightful discussion on how industry and policymakers can respond to the opportunities and challenges shaping Australia’s next construction wave.

This webinar is being held on our new platform, ON24. If you do not receive your confirmation email, please check your junk and spam folders.

Speakers

Alex Hooper

Alex is a macroeconomist with over a decade of experience, she currently leads Oxford Economics’ climate & energy economics practice.

Head of Climate & Energy Economics, OE Australia

Nicholas Fearnley

Dr Nicholas Fearnley is the Head of Global Construction Forecasting, based in Sydney. Nicholas oversees the teams that produce the various construction, mining, and maintenance studies. He works over the full construction spectrum, and regularly presents and provides commentary for both the construction and mining industries.

Nicholas joined Oxford Economics in 2019 after working at Macromontor, where he was responsible for producing regular Australian building construction forecast reports, and bespoke cost escalation and material demand forecasts.

Prior to joining Macromonitor, Nicholas completed a PhD at the University of Sydney with a thesis titled: “A Critical and Quantitative Analysis of the Relationship between Informal Institutions and Economic Development.” He was awarded the Walter Noel Gillies Prize for best PhD thesis in Economics, and his thesis was accepted without edits.

Nicholas has undergraduate degrees in both Accounting and Applied Finance from Macquarie University, and a first class honours degree in Accounting from the University of Sydney with a thesis titled: “Culture and the Measurement Decision Offered by Investment Property”.

Head of Global Construction Forecasting

Timothy Hibbert

Timothy Hibbert leads the property, building, and demographic forecasting at BIS Oxford Economics. He has over 15 years of experience as an industry economist, working across government, consultancy, and subscription services.

Head of Building & Property Forecasting, OE Australia

This WEBINAR was brought to you by the australian infrastructure team.

Forecasts and analysis of civil infrastructure and heavy industry investment across Australia.

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