Project Mars Data Centre

While i do not live in the Lane Cove area, my grandchildren attend the Lane Cove West Public School and my daughter owns a property in Lane Cove West.
I am very concerned that such a large industrial facility is being proposed in such close proximity to a primary school and residents. I have concerns about the operation of a 24/7 facility constantly producing noise and a large number of back up diesel generators being located right next to residents and less than 160m to a school.
The school has already had 18 months of disruption from the construction of water services and other infrastructure for another data centre in the business centre, a projected 3 years of construction noise in addition to the effects of ongoing low level ( with potentially annoying noise profile) noise from the centre on these students is unacceptable.
I am informed that up to 5 data facilities could be approved in the business park. There appears to be no strategic oversight or consideration by the NSW Government as to the cumulative impacts of creating a large data centre hub whether from a terrorism, air quality, noise or heat island perspective. Should a power black out happen in the business centre, over 200 back up diesel operators could come online. The EIS has no details on the air quality impact of a black out in the business centre, particularly being so close to sensitive receptors.
I call on the NSW Government to halt the approval of data facilities until the Government has formalised a strategic plan that sets out guidelines for the siting (e.g. with minimum setbacks and buffer zones to residents) and operation of these facilities.

I strongly believe the data centre should not be built on Mars Road Lane Cove West.

We object to the proliferation of data centres in the Sydney region and in particular around Lane Cove and Ryde.

The ongoing impacts of these resource hungry structures/enterprises will have an adverse effect on the supply of power and water as we re-enter El Nino. We have seen no evidence of these data centres being self sustaining or embracing innovation to minimise their environmental impact. The net effect is always reduced flora and fauna in the areas in which they are built. Greater Sydney Landcare has been working with the NSW Government to cool our cities through the Creating Canopies project run over the past 6 years aiming to improve canopy cover which help to cool our suburbs. These large developments which result in a net loss of canopy in the area add to the heat effect across our urban areas.

We have also seen no indication that these built environments take any consideration of the habitat corridors - where are the corridors through the sites to allow continued connection between local bush areas?

We think it is time that innovation and some serious consideration of the surrounding environment needs to come into play for all developments - especially for these large scale resource hungry monoliths.

This data centre is far too close to residents. There should be a regulation that they cannot be so close to residents. Also with the valley that this data centre is proposed. The echo will be very loud for the locals. This affects not only residents but everyone enjoying Blackman oval

I object to the project for the following reasons:
There is a failure to properly consider and account for the potential impact of the use of water and electricity. Given its proximity to residential areas and a school, this is a serious concern. Power cuts and interference with water supply are not infrequent occurrences in Lane Cove West and this project may exacerbate existing strains on infrastructure.
Research has shown that low level, low frequency noise can have a deleterious effect on human health. The project is very close to residential areas where this impact is likely to seriously affect many people’s quality of life.
The location of the project, being so close to schools, homes, small businesses, protected wildlife in national park and other vulnerable communities is a risk that has not (and likely cannot) be ameliorated. Whilst data centres are a necessary part of modern life, they do not and should not be located so close to these vulnerable communities. This is particularly so where it is proposed that multiple data centres are to be located in a very small area.
The size of the building is too large for the area. Its height exceeds most other buildings in the area and its construction will lead to loss of green space, trees and consequently wildlife.
If permission is given for one data centre, it will become more difficult to refuse future proposed data centre proposals. This ‘floodgate’ effect will amplify and exacerbate all other negative impacts discussed above.

Project not suitable for area

1. Noise from 24 hour operation
2.visual bulk and scale
3. Environmental and bushland impact on Blackman Park,
4. Energy consumption and environmental impact,
5. Medical impacts- physical and mental.

Data centres have an enormous impact on their surrounding areas.
The Lane Cove River is a fragile environment this type of development is inappropriate. It risks damaging this beautiful area.
Sydney already has a shortage of locally zoned commercial areas. Data centres are huge and their existence strains the already limited space for local commercial businesses. They are ugly to look at.
The noise factor and massive use of water and fuel makes data centres in their current form unviable.
Data centres should be located out west. They should have to build their own solar farms and dams so they are not drawing from the town power and water supply. Or alternatively they should all be located in one area on the coast and forced to pay for their own desalination plant. They should be self supporting in all regards. What will happen when our cities face the next drought ? Sydney has not increased its water supply since the last one. Will we run out of water? Will tax payers be forced to foot the bill for increased infrastructure?
Building data centres without factoring in the big picture issues is a huge mistake.

Please find attached a letter of objection to the project at 12 Margs Road.

I am concerned about the rapid growth of data centres in and near Lane Cove, including noise, light spill, sediment runoff, construction damage, and pressure on local infrastructure. This proposal is especially concerning as it intrudes into residential and recreational areas and is very near a local primary school. It will undoubtedly have detrimental impacts on local bushland, trees and environmental amenity and waterways including the Lane Cove River.

The other issues of great concern are the increased pressure on electricity supply, including reported brownouts, impacts of diesel back-up generators on air quality and health, and the ongoing operational noise affecting nearby residents and schools, noting there are already data centres in close proximity to the proposed new centre.

For the above reasons I submit that the centre should not be approved, or scaled back very significantly in size and operation, with stringent environmental and risk management standards and checks and balances, to balance and preserve local residential amenity and the quality of environment.

I strongly object to the proposed Project Mars Data Centre and request that consent be refused.

This proposal seeks approval for an industrial-scale, energy-intensive, continuously operating facility in or near an established residential community. The scale, operational intensity, environmental burden, and amenity impacts are fundamentally incompatible with the planning objectives ordinarily applying to residential neighbourhoods and with the principles of ecologically sustainable development under NSW planning law.

The proposal transfers private commercial benefit to the applicant while imposing ongoing environmental, health, amenity, and infrastructure costs on the surrounding community.

See attachment "Submission_Objection to Project Mars Data Centre.pdf" for my submission.

The park is an key leisure place in Lane Cove.

It is too close to residential areas and will significantly increase noise to the people living nearby. This is 24 hours a day so will affect sleep quality. There is no need to have it this close to residential areas.

Please see attached, this is an objection to Project Mars in Lane Cove.

This is the latest of many data centres in the area, it impacts traffic during the building phase as well as after completion. The data centre is closed to resedential housing as well as a public school and large outdoor sporting facility (Blackman Park). The impact on water, power/electricity are already impacting the resdentinal area and we have had years of infrastructure project to no gain for the residents in the area.

Please see my attachment

One of the most noticeable issues is energy consumption. Data centres require enormous amounts of electricity to power servers and cooling systems. This can strain local power grids, increase demand for energy infrastructure, and in some cases contribute to higher electricity prices or greater reliance on fossil fuels if renewable energy isn’t sufficient.
Closely related is their environmental footprint. Many data centres consume vast quantities of water for cooling, which can put pressure on local water supplies—especially in regions already facing water scarcity. Additionally, if powered by non-renewable energy, they contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
Another common concern is noise pollution. Large cooling systems and backup generators can produce constant low-frequency noise. Even when it meets legal limits, this hum can be disruptive to residents living nearby, affecting sleep and overall quality of life.
There’s also the issue of land use and community character. Data centres are typically large, warehouse-like buildings that don’t generate much foot traffic or community interaction. This can change the look and feel of neighbourhoods, sometimes replacing land that could have been used for housing, parks, or local businesses.
From an economic perspective, while data centres create jobs during construction, they often provide relatively few long-term employment opportunities once operational. This can lead to frustration if communities expected sustained job growth in exchange for hosting these facilities.
Finally, infrastructure strain can be a problem. Data centres require upgrades to roads, power lines, and fibre networks. Construction and maintenance can increase traffic, disrupt daily life, and place additional burdens on local infrastructure.
In short, while data centres are essential to modern life, their impacts on the surrounding communit are significant.

Worse for quality of life, cost of living in neighbouring areas

I object to the proposal on climate change grounds. The project proposes to use 710,000 MWh of electricity each year. This is the equivalent to the energy needed to power 67000 homes. The developers are suggesting annual emissions up to 2050 will be about 400,000 t CO2 - about the same as 85000 petrol vehicles or over 50,000 homes per year! This is based on very optimistic modelling that there will be no fossil fuels in the energy mix by 2050 - which is very unlikely. There is no plan here to reduce energy needs - to reduce consumption over time - to update to less energy hungry hardware. There is no plan to reduce emissions beyond what the government is already doing to reduce emissions. This is not in line with Net zero policy or ambition.

Given the very substantial climate impacts the current engagement strategy and social impact modelling is insufficient. There should be consideration of impacts on future generations and marginal groups around the world for whom any sea level rise or worsening of climate change will have very real impacts. As a society we should be doing everything possible to prevent further climate change deterioration. This project will make climate change worse. It may only be a tiny contributor but all these tiny contributions add up to major changes to the planet. We dont need this development and it should be rejected. It makes a mockery of all the climate change action people are doing - buying solar, electrifying houses and turning off lights - when here is a business that wants to run a facility that is the equivalent of 67000 homes!

Furthermore to locate such a power hungry facility so close to a much loved community park is a grave mistake and will ruin the amenity of the area. No one wants it. Its a climate nightmare. Listen to the people and the planet and oppose this development.

Please refer to the attached document for my objection.