$400 million dollar data centre proposed for Lane Cove West

Overlooking Blackman Park, the latest data centre development to hit the North Shore has drawn criticism from locals for its proximity to bushland and residential areas.

What happened: Data centre company Goodman Group has put forward plans for a 5 acre data centre at 12 Mars Road, Lane Cove West. The proposal has been lodged as a State Significant Development, meaning approval will be fast-tracked by the state government.

Moving in: While 12 Mars Road is zoned for general industrial use, the site directly borders low-rise residential areas, environmental conservation land and Blackman Park. 

Lane Cove Mayor Merri Southwood told the Lorikeet that residents have raised concerns to her about the development, particularly regarding light pollution, sediment runoff into local bushland and the centre overlooking the Lane Cove Community Nursery.

Similar to the data centre proposed for North Ryde, this proposal is in close proximity to the Lane Cove River and Lane Cove National Park. The build will also see the removal of 82 trees. 

Power: The centre's overall power consumption is approximately 90mw. In comparison, the power consumption of the NEXTDC data centre in Gore Hill is 80mw, while the proposed Julius Avenue centre is 170mw.

Once constructed, the centre will employ approximately 26 people.

Councils concerned: The news comes following submissions from Lane Cove and Ryde Council to a NSW parliamentary inquiry into data centres.

Ryde Council raised concerns that development of centres was outpacing infrastructure, and “placing significant pressure on electricity and water supplies for all users”. 

In their submission to the inquiry, Lane Cove Council noted concern among locals about increasing blackouts and brownouts. 

Lane Cove Deputy Mayor Rochelle Flood claimed that more frequent power outages have been observed since the increase in data centre development. 

“We do know there has been an increase”, she told the Lorikeet. However, according to Flood there was no proven correlation between the two.

What now: The proposal is currently on exhibition. You can comment on it via the state planning website.