Amazon commits USD 4.4 billion to New Zealand data centres

Amazon has announced to invest NZD 7.5 billion(approximately USD 4.4 billion) in New Zealand to build and operate data centres. This investment supports the launch of a new Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud region in the country. The company's plan is expected to contribute NZD 10.8 billion to New Zealand’s gross domestic product (GDP) and support an average of more than 1,000 full-time jobs annually.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon described the investment as historic. He noted the project is the largest ever announced by a global technology company in the country. Amazon Web Services (AWS) launched its Asia Pacific (New Zealand) Region on 1 September 2025, providing a local cloud infrastructure for developers, startups, enterprises, and government agencies. The new region, which includes three "Availability Zones," gives customers the ability to run applications and store data within New Zealand's borders with lower latency.

The investment is part of a broader, global push by Amazon to build out its data centre network to meet growing demand for cloud services and artificial intelligence (AI) computing. For New Zealand, the project is a key step in strengthening its digital infrastructure.

Prasad Kalyanaraman, Vice President of Infrastructure Services at AWS, stated that the new region will help serve the growing demand for cloud services. He added that the company will hire and develop local personnel to operate and support the new cloud region. Amazon has also committed to training 100,000 New Zealanders in cloud skills through programs like AWS Academy and AWS Skills Builder.

The launch of the New Zealand region has been in the works since Amazon first announced the plan in 2021. The new data centres are located in and around Auckland, with locations chosen to ensure resilience against events like power outages while remaining close enough for low-latency connections. The new AWS region will be powered by 100% renewable energy from its launch date, with power supplied through a long-term agreement with Mercury New Zealand's Turitea South wind farm.