Project Mars Data Centre

To close to residence area.

Submission Objecting to the Proposed Mars Data Center at 12 Mars Road, Lane Cove

I write to formally object to the proposed Mars Data Center due to its significant and unacceptable impacts on surrounding bushland, wildlife habitat, and the local environment.

The site at Lane Cove sits within a sensitive bushland corridor that contributes to the ecological health of nearby reserves and the Lane Cove River catchment. Fragmentation of these habitats weakens biodiversity and reduces the resilience of local ecosystems.

Construction and operation of a large-scale data centre also raise serious environmental concerns. The extensive hard surfaces, infrastructure, and cooling systems associated with such facilities risk increasing urban heat, altering natural drainage patterns, and introducing pollutants into surrounding soils and waterways. Sediment runoff during construction has the potential to damage downstream habitats and degrade water quality in the Lane Cove River system.

In addition, the industrial nature of a high-capacity data centre is inconsistent with the established environmental character of the area. Increased traffic, noise, artificial lighting, and ongoing operational impacts will further disturb wildlife and diminish the natural amenity valued by local residents and visitors.

Given the long-term environmental consequences, I respectfully urge the NSW Department of Planning and Environment and the Lane Cove Council to reject or substantially reconsider this proposal. Protection of remaining bushland and natural corridors must be prioritised over short-term development gains.

Preserving native vegetation and ecological integrity in Lane Cove is essential not only for biodiversity but for the wellbeing of current and future generations

I strongly object to this proposal given the huge environmental damage it will cause to our community.

I have lived in the Lane Cove area for many years, and I cannot understand why this leafy, family friendly residential area is now the location for so many data centres that impact negatively on the lives of the residents. They are owned by overseas multimillionaires who do not care about the local residents who have to put up with noise during construction, continuous noise once they are operating and massive energy and water consumption. There are already many problems with water and power outages in Lane Cove in recent years and this would put another huge strain on the system. There are already at least a dozen data centres in the Ryde/Lane Cove area and many more are in the pipeline. They should be built far away from schools, homes, parks and bushland. They create heat, health risks from the cooling towers, air and noise pollution and few local jobs. They are also huge structures like the NEXTDC data centre at Gore Hill which is the ugliest building on the highway, a blight on the landscape and it looks like a futuristic prison that glows at night disturbing all the local residents.
We do not want the Mars Data Centre or any other data centre in Lane Cove so please refuse permission.

I object to this project. Land should be used for building more housing and supporting human infrastucture i.e. schools, communities centre.

This data centre will be dead land.

I object to this project

I believe that there are many negative impacts of this Mega Data Center in Lane Cove West including as follows:

Noise Dirt and Dust during the massive work required to Demolish this whole site and rebuild
Small businesses on the site will have to pay excessive Dollars to move - $100k for some and $millions for others
Residences in quiet Banksia Close will be most affected by the Demolition and Rebuilding required
As will the Native Bush area managed by local council Volunteers.
Also Sports in Blackman Park as well as fenced areas for dogs to exercise
The nearby Public School with 500 students who play out on the exposed playground
As a resident of Hallam Avenue myself, I've already been impacted by what Interflow described as work to provide a better supply of water to the neighborhood (not telling anyone that the improved water flow was for a Mega Data Centre in Lane Cove West Business Park).
For 18 months Interflow were digging up every inch of the road, very deeply to accommodate for the size of the pipe that had to be laid and I couldn't park in front of my house and even sometimes access to my driveway was denied.
I could go on and on, but I'm leaving it at that. If I'd known at the time that I would get the opportunity to object to this, I would have taken photos as all this work was undertaken.

I appreciate the need for data sovereign data centers, although my concerns are on the following:
1-Construction- will be a disturbance to the nearby houses and Lane Cove West Public School
2-Traffic- that there will be increased volume of cars in the industrial area, potentially more workers parking near the LCWPS area preventing safe pickup and dropoff, that the link between Banskia Cl and Mars Rd will be reopened, resulting in a massive amount of local traffic
3-The noise of this
4-The expense of the grid on local neighbors and LCWPS
5-The risk of pollution falling on LCWPS and local neighbors.
Perhaps such a center can be built away from schools and residential areas, in an area that can cater to increased traffic.

I am a student at Lane Cove West Public School and have lived here all my life. I always use Blackman Park to have fun at the skate park, the fields and the playground areas.

I strongly believe the data centre should not be built in all circumstances. It is too close to all these areas and will affect the people living around here as well as the local wildlife and the environment. I think it will do more harm than good. Please do not let this data centre and the other ones to be built so close to us all!

Thank you for reading my comments.

I totally object to the Dats Centre next to Blackman Park. It is planned to be close to school homes and parks. It will destroy trees. Create noise. Use precious resources and we will lose wildlife habitat.

To: Patrick Copas, Department of Planning and Environment

Subject: OBJECTION TO PROPOSED DATA CENTRE AT 12 MARS ROAD, LANE COVE WEST

Dear Mr. Copas,

I am writing to formally express my strong opposition to the Project Mars Data Centre proposal. As someone with family in this area who spends significant time in the immediate neighborhood, I am deeply concerned about the long-term impact this facility will have on the character, safety, and health of the community.

This proposal represents a heavy industrial land use that is fundamentally incompatible with the residential streets and the primary school located just 160m away.

Impacts on Living Conditions and Well-being

The nature of a data centre involves 24-hour operations supported by high-voltage equipment, massive cooling systems, and nearly 50 diesel generators. My concerns include:
Constant Noise: Unlike traditional businesses, this facility will produce a persistent, low-frequency hum. This type of ongoing background noise is known to disrupt sleep and increase stress. For the many families living on Avalon Avenue, Banksia Close, and Wood Street, this represents a permanent loss of the "quiet enjoyment" of their homes.
Air Quality: The regular testing and operation of dozens of diesel generators will introduce fuel vapors and exhaust into an area where children play and exercise.
Safety Hazards: The storage of large quantities of diesel fuel and roughly 200,000kg of lithium-ion batteries—which are notoriously difficult to extinguish once ignited—poses an unnecessary risk to a high-density residential and school zone.

Erosion of Local Character and Economy

The current zoning for this site (E4 General Industrial) is intended to encourage employment and mitigate conflict with residential areas. This project fails both tests:
Job Loss: The current small-scale offices and industrial spaces support a diverse range of local businesses. Replacing them with a massive facility that requires only 26 permanent staff is a significant net loss for local employment.
Property Values: The sheer scale of this building, combined with the removal of mature trees and the introduction of a 24-hour noise source, will undeniably make these quiet suburban streets less desirable, impacting the hard-earned equity of local homeowners.
Infrastructure Strain: I am concerned about the cumulative impact multiple data centres will have on the local power and water security, potentially driving up utility costs for residents.

Construction Disruption

A three-year construction period is an eternity for a local community. The neighborhood has already endured significant disruption from water main upgrades; adding years of heavy construction traffic, dust, and vibration directly adjacent to a school route is a major safety concern for children.

Conclusion

I am not opposed to progress, but I am opposed to the wrong development in the wrong place. A hyper-scale data centre does not belong in the middle of a neighborhood filled with young families and students. The environmental and human impacts are too great and, in my view, cannot be mitigated by simple landscaping or "preliminary" noise assessments.

I urge the Department to prioritize the health and well-being of the Lane Cove West community over commercial interests and refuse this application.

Kind regards,

Philip Doyle
Brother to local residents of Banksia Close, Lane Cove West

This will be great for jobs, technology and Australia’s future in the AI driven world. It is appropriate because it is located in an industrial zoned area.

To the NSW Department of Planning, regarding the Project Mars data centre,

I have lived in the Lane Cove area my whole life, and a graduate of Lane Cove West Public School. I wish to put in my objection to the development of the Project Mars data centre. I am making this objection on a number of grounds:

1. The consumption of resources and impact on the environment.
As seen in the proposal and other sources relating to this project, this data centre takes up a lot of space. Not only does its height significantly exceed Lane Cove's permitted height limits, but it also propagates native plants from significant heat from the generators. The abundance of diesel backup generators also results in reducing air quality, not only destroying trees but also creating a worse environment for both residents, students at Lane Cove West Public School, patrons at Blackman Park and surrounding facilities. The facility also uses a lot of water, reducing the availability of water for nearby residents. Considering that this is right next to hundreds of homes, a school and other businesses that need it just as much or even more, this isn't ideal to just take away resources from. If this data centre is to be built, it may make AI engines faster but at the cost of both the liveliness of the suburb and native plants.
2. The impact of noise
The facility, running 24/7, sits very close homes. With the generators constantly running, this will create a lot of noise for residents that reside within Lane Cove West, disrupting usual day-to-day activities, including operations at the school. Whilst the EIS notes that "during operation, the proposed development will comply with established noise criteria." But is this 'established noise criteria' even enough? In the United States, they hold much stricter criteria, saying that building centres must be around 60 meters away from residential areas or properties, whilst backup generators should be around 90 meters away, based on tacking these issues head on. Contrastingly, this proposal puts the data centre at a mere 16 meters away from residential dwellings. Constant running noise will cause more harm than good in the local environment, and will only disrupt usual tasks during both day and night.

As you can clearly see, I reject this decision. The very thought of it is honestly ridiculous, the greediness of corporations is on full display here, taking away from both people who are trying to live their lives, and the surrounding environment around them. It appals me that there was such little consideration for the residents living in the community. If you are to rewrite this plan, you must put the interest of both people and surrounding environment. I would like to conclude with this song, which puts my ideas into fruition in the form of a song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgepU7Ui1wQ

I am writing to formally object to the Project Mars Data Centre at 12 Mars Road, Lane Cove West (SSD-82052708).
I am a local resident and parent of an autistic child who is highly sensitive to noise and frequency. A 24/7 data centre generating constant mechanical hum, cooling drone and low-frequency vibration is not something our family can simply adapt to. This kind of continuous noise causes real distress, sleep disruption and sensory overload for my daughter. The EIS does not adequately assess the impact on residents with sensory disabilities and I am calling for an independent low-frequency noise and vibration study before any approval is granted.
I am also deeply concerned about diesel pollution. These facilities rely on large diesel generators that run during testing and outages, pumping out fine particulate matter and carcinogens classified by the WHO as Group 1. Children are the most vulnerable. There is no proper cumulative air quality assessment covering all the data centres now proposed or approved in Lane Cove West and there needs to be one.
We cannot afford to lose more trees and wildlife either. Lane Cove’s bushland and habitat corridors are precious. A facility of this scale will mean net vegetation loss, increased heat, light and noise spilling into adjoining green spaces, and real harm to native animals. Proposed landscaping is not a substitute for what will be lost.
This application also cannot be assessed in isolation. Lane Cove West is now looking at the existing AirTrunk centre, a new 140MW AirTrunk facility, the DC Alliance proposal at Mars Road, and this one. The combined impact on our community has never been properly assessed and that is simply not good enough.
I am asking the Department to refuse this application in its current form and to require independent assessments of low-frequency noise, cumulative air quality, and ecological impact across all data centre proposals in this precinct before anything is approved. The rights and health of children and residents must come before commercial interests.

My grandson plays soccer here at the playing field below and it would be a terrible shame to have this development go through.
There is a lovely atmosphere at these grounds and removing the trees which will give a sound and visual buffer to the building would be a huge loss.
Please help ensure this is minimised if the proposal goes ahead.

I’m deeply concerned about the proposed data centre next to homes, a local school and Blackman Park. This is a very large industrial facility - planned less than 50 metres from houses, 160m from the public school and a childcare and right at the doorstep of Blackman Park that is used by many families and local and external communities.

The cumulative impact on power, water, traffic and safety is becoming impossible to ignore. We’ve already experienced disruption from recent infrastructure works by Interflow and there is concern about electricity reliability and the risk of further blackouts as demand continues to increase - let alone house, pollution and impacts to wildlife.


I strongly disagree with this development

I thought Lane cove council love their trees, why now try to remove trees for money. If this project approved then Lane cove property price gonna drop like crazy, this surburb is finished

As we see new development of data centres across Australia, it’s essential to ensure that they are sustainably built and operated in the future. Instead of fossil fuels and large volumes of water we need to use solar and hydrogen. There’s no need for this type of development so close to residential property - Sydney’s crying out for housing - use areas like this for housing and push the industry of the future out of the cities.

The future is here: information & technology are the blood and bones of society.
Datacenters are, thus, paramount.
So is human and environment health.
Acknowledgement is due to the logistic advantages of building the data Center on the selected site. Regardless, it's construction constitutes a violation of the health and well-being of the community around it.
Surely there are more appropriate places for such project, away from the playgrounds, parks, schools and homes of our dear Lane Cove neighbours.
Perhaps the parties interested in building this facility should consider whether they themselves would like to live and raise their children right next to it.

Thank you for your time and consideration.
May your conscience be light and present.

I live 50 metres from the proposed development where there will be a taller building than there is today. The building is expected to have many noisy cooling chillers and diesel generators in the open air on the roof close by.

I object to having this development so close as it will be running all day and all night, every day. It is a quiet area at night where I live and the noise in particular at night time would interrupt my sleep. Currently the night time RBL included in the EIS is 30dBA for NCA03. The noise expected is 36dBA. This is outside EPA guidelines of no more than 5dBA above RBL. My family and I have had personal experience of noise problems. In the past, IMMIJ printers were a noise problem at night. Local council were required to be engaged to reduce the noise.

There is also concern of the additional noise and emissions when diesel generators are operating. And there is no assessment of noise impact and emissions if all or some of the diesel generators are running simultaneously due to a power interruption.

I suffer from asthma as a result of a previous medical problem and I am concerned the emissions will affect my breathing and health when the diesel generators are running each month.

The height of new building is expected to be 28 metres. This is much higher the maximum allowed for this industrial zone at 18 metres. The proposed building will be higher and block light, and sunshine especially in the winter when the sun is lower in the sky. I expect to have to turn on lights early and will have to pay a larger electricity bill for the winter months.

I understand trees have been identified to be removed between my house and the new development. Trees provide visual relief and partial noise barrier. I object to their removal. They are part of the area and provide a habit for the abundant bird life.

There is no proposed solution for the water requirement of the proposed development and we have just had 18 months of road closures and noise for an additional water service to another data centre. I don’t want to live with that again.

To whom it may concern,
I'm writing to object against the data centre in Lane Cove West.

I lived in Lane Cove for 10 years, especially Lane cove west. I still have friends there and I still use the nature reserve around blackmans park.

My children went to Lane cove west public school and I was school committee for fund-raising and building funds for environmental projects within the school.

There is a unique nature that has been preserved by the Lane cove bush volunteers, yes Lane cove might be in the city, but the council and community have worked hard at leaving nature and continue to love and look after it over the years for the natural wildlife and for the community and visitors.

The visitors to the park varies, but the ones that touched my heart is the special Needs and special conditions of grown adults who need carers and they bring them to Lane cove west and the Blackman park as part of their rehabilitation and social healing.

One of the visitors was Mario Fennech, ex Rabitohs player, and I've Seen dog walkers bring the dogs there, school groups meet up there , as well as soccer kids.

Though I might not live there currently, Lane Cove west nature has a beauty and healing element that helps inviduals get better no matter what they are going through, I've found myself after losing someone, it helped me with grief and sadness.
I fear that the data centres will impact the zone, the nature and disruption of the energy of the earth to give back in its own way, the data centres will drive out the nature and the hard work fo the community.
At night the stillness of the park, the wildlife thriving about, it doesn't need to he fractured with data centres.

This is money and greed from the corporations,
There can be other sites.
The data centres will use alot of water and already there is fractures in the energy grids and water delivery, with blackouts for hours and water bursts.

Lane cove west is a community of people, humans, and children and a meeting place. It's a place where children that grow Into teens still turn to Lane cove west to thrive in sport and meeting friends assisting them with their mental and emotional well-being.

It will destroy the community if this goes through. The roads are narrow as they are yet to go through construction will fracture and kill parts of the Blackman park.

Lane cove west is a hub, it's a beating heart made with many, going through life challenges but still coming together with dignity, love and respect for this beautiful section of earth

Please contact me to discuss anything further.

Nobody asked the people living within six miles of an AI data center whether they wanted to be warmer. Nobody asked the deer, the pollinators, the soil, or the migratory birds either. Nope. They didn’t get a vote. After a facility begins operations, land surface temperatures in the surrounding area rise by an average of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. In the worst cases, nearby temperatures climb by up to 16.4 degrees Fahrenheit. The warming doesn’t stop at the fence line either — it radiates outward for up to 6.2 miles, affecting the surrounding environment. The study was done by University of Cambridge and led by Andrea Marinoni of the Earth Observation group. The researchers call it the “data heat island effect,” and they say it is real, consistent, and happening everywhere these facilities exist. A single hyperscale data center — the kind required to run AI models — can consume anywhere from 100 to 300 megawatts of electricity. That energy (like all energy) does not vanish. Instead, it becomes heat. The servers generate it, the cooling systems push it outside, and the backup generators add more. All of it lands in the surrounding environment, day after day, year after year. Temperature increases of that scale alter soil chemistry. They disrupt plant growth cycles. They push wildlife out of habitats that have sustained them for generations. On top of the heat, data centers bring noise — the constant hum of server fans and HVAC systems — which disrupts animal communication, alters behavior, and forces species to abandon territories. Noise, heat, and habitat destruction from facilities that can sprawl across 500 to 1,000 acres of what was previously forest, farmland, or open space. We should all be very concerned.
#dataheatislandeffect #datacenters #AI #BigTech #datacenternoise #datacenterdestruction #SaveOurLand #cleanwater #saveourwildlife #saynotodatacenters #DataCenterHeat