Road 1 Data Centre

The Macquarie Park location is perfect for apartments, office buildings, and mixed use development that can benefit a wide variety of people. It is close to public transport, shops at Macquarie centre and the University. Taking up such valuable space for a data centre is a total waste, and almost any other use of the site would be of greater benefit to the public.

I fully support the building of the Road 1 Data Centre

I think data centres are an important development in the current digital age and I'm not against the development of a data centre in this location. However, I feel as if the proposed development does not seriously consider the severe impacts of water consumption in data centres. Yes, it may be approved by Sydney Water that it is able to be serviced, but there is no consideration of the cumulative impacts encouraged by planning controls enabling data centre development across Macquarie Park, and the Greater Sydney water system as a whole. The project needs to consider measures for using recycled water in cooling systems. A due diligence assessment of the feasibility of an on-site treatment and recycling facility is the minimum encouraged. I understand that rainwater capture is proposed but this is not enough. An assessment of cumulative water consumption in the Macquarie Park's E3 zones under the maximum development uptake for the purposes of data centres under the existing planning controls should be undertaken to identify the overall level of water consumption that is inherently permissible, and justify that the proposal will not place unreasonable strain on the water network in its current state. I suspect it will not. As such, on-site water recycling should be seriously considered to ensure sustainable outcomes both for the proposed development and for the future of Macquarie Park.

This data centre like any data centre will take up a considerable amount of resource from the residents living in the area in order to run. It's high electricity consumption straining the local grid and increasing energy costs, significant water use potentially leading to water shortages, constant noise from cooling systems and backup generators, increased traffic and construction disruption, and impacts on local ecosystems and biodiversity.

As this data centre is being built so close to a residential area, the noise pollution alone is damning. The continuous operation of cooling fans and backup generators creates a constant, low-frequency hum or roar is disruptive and bothersome to residents.

I am primarily concerned with the noise pollution that will be generated by the facility's 24/7 operation. The constant noise may severely impact my sleep and negatively affect my physical and mental health. To protect the health and well-being of local residents,I object to this project.

Please see the attached Sydney Water response, Growth Data Form and DA Info sheet. Any issues, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]