I strongly oppose the proposed $2.9 billion Kogarah Golf Club redevelopment by Stockland and John Boyd Properties, and urge the Department of Planning to reject the current proposal and undertake improved consultation with the wider Inner West community.
The project fails to meet the state's sustainability standards and lacks meaningful benefits for the surrounding area.
A primary concern is that data centres are historically insular, high-resource operations that do not organically contribute to the local community. They consume massive amounts of energy and water while creating very few long-term local jobs once operational. Furthermore, this proposal offers no concrete pathway to Net Zero operations, relies heavily on grid-stressed electricity, and fails to rule out polluting diesel backup generators.
The submission demands the project be rejected or drastically redesigned around these key pillars:
• Community and Culture: Address the completely inadequate community consultation process, which falsely claimed engagement with local environmental groups.
• Climate and Flood Risks: Account for modelling that shows the entire development footprint will be underwater due to sea-level rise and storm surges by 2100.
• The Cooks River Legacy Fund: Force the developers to financially contribute to the river's health, establishing a stewardship group to naturalise riverbanks and restore local saltmarsh habitats.
• Environmental Protections: Mandate a minimum 100-metre riparian corridor to shield the river from a towering 70-metre-high wall, preserve the existing tree canopy to fight urban heat, and enforce large-scale rainwater harvesting.
A project of this historic scale must not be allowed to proceed as a closed-off, environmentally damaging development. It must be redesigned to leave a lasting, positive ecological and recreational legacy for the community.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments. it is essential that the design supports active transport and:
1. Prioritises the delivery of the foreshore active transport link and public open space. This must be included in the first phase of the development.

2. Increases the width of the foreshore public open space with a minimum 40m setback.

3. Provide separate paths for walking and cycling, in line with TfNSW guidelines, to ensure there is capacity for significant future growth in use.

4. Ensures that the foreshore paths connect directly - and safely - with the Alexandra Canal Cycleway and the International Terminal. A new walking and cycling bridge adjacent or attached to the Giovanni Brunetti Bridge must be delivered as part of the project.

5. Supplies futureproofed end-of-trip facilities for workers and visitors, secure bike parking and e-bike charging points.

Environmental concerns of added pollutants to the local waterways which are already impacted by recent large road projects as well as the air.
Concern for availability of power through peak heat periods etc as the last few summers have shown many black outs.

To whom it may concern,
I am writing regarding the proposed redevelopment of Kogarah Golf Course.
As someone who values the Cooks River, I recognise this is a significant opportunity for Sydney. I am not opposed to redevelopment of the site. However I believe a potential data centre in the heart of an urban area would be detrimental to the Bayside Community for the following reasons


1. Noise pollution - reports of large scale data centres emitting sounds that raise noise levels to 96dB
2. Increased electricity, and water prices due to massive increase of scarce resource usage
3. Environmental impact due to
- the removal of green spaces which lead to the desecration of local flora and fauna,
- the location of a potential data centre being situated along the Cooks River, and the risks of pollutants (including Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl AKA PFAS), flowing into surrounding areas.
4. Potential risk to raising temperatures in surrounding areas
5. Few jobs created, incentive to leave increases, and surrounding local businesses have less customers.

These will make Bayside Community a much less welcoming place to live, and will encourage those who are able to afford to move away to do so, and leave those unable to move in an undeniably worse condition.

1. Noise Pollution

As reported on news.com.au on the 29th of June, "Eerie videos from the US show what residents living near data centres in America are facing, as some reportedly emit a constant high-pitched droning noise at all times of the day. Three cities in the US are now even suing the AI companies behind the data centres in their backyards as the noise becomes unbearable."
The proposal looks to build across the street from a residential area, and would deeply affect the people in the area during the day and night due to the constant humming. This is harmful to everyone as it would impact sleep and general productivity. It would also interfere with the reasonable peace and comfort of the residents in their homes.

Reported by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, "Data centre neighbors have reported headaches, vertigo, nausea, sleep disturbances, ear pain, and hypertension. Hart adds that people who live near these data centers can hear the noise day and night as a ringing in the ears. Complaints about data center noise tend to focus on its 24/7 consistent presence rather than on its volume."

2. Increased electricity and water costs and usage

Dr Dylan McConnell, an energy systems researcher at the University of NSW, has openly stated that "There will be an undeniable impact on the overall cost of electricity, which will flow through to power price".

Also reported in The Guardian "...Water authorities are anticipating the demand on drinking water supplies will be significant. Datacentre demand in Sydney alone is forecast to be 250 megalitres a day by 2035, roughly equivalent to Canberra’s total drinking water, while Melbourne Water says development applications for new hyperscale datacentres already exceed the water demand for nearly all of the state’s top 30 business customers combined."

These statements during a period where there is massive uncertainty in the economy shake confidence even further, and will have profound impacts on younger families considering what would be the most stable choice when considering family planning, when disposable income thins out.

3. Environmental impact

Besides the most direct impact to the environment which would clear the habitat of the local flora and fauna, as well as potentially release extremely harmful pollutants into the surrounding areas, the chemicals released into the air will have a major impact which will constantly impact the local community. "Datacentres typically use diesel generators when there are power outages. Documents from a May 2026 meeting revealed NSW environmental protection authority modelling showing that if all eight large datacentres in the Sydney basin ran their generators at the same time, the one-hour air pollution load would be five to six times that of all electricity generation in NSW and five to six times greater than that of all motor vehicles in NSW."

“Datacentre loads are a key source of grid strain and volatility – blackout events are more likely with more datacentres pulling on the grid and transmission capacity,” stated NSW Greens MLC Abigail Boyd.

4. Risk of increased temperatures in surrounding areas
There is potential risk of a large-scale data centre increasing the temperatures of the local area, called "heat-islands". Some US researchers are reporting that areas with data centers have increased average temperatures of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, while some at the extreme end were reported to have increased temperatures of 16.4 degree Fahrenheit. While this is still a topic to be further researched and validated, it would seem unwise to accept this potential risk while the Bayside Community experienced multiple days Summer 2025 that were over 42 degrees Celsius.

5. Few jobs created
It is well-known that data centres, once built, will only hire a handful of people with clearances. The factors stated above would be an incentive for many people to leave the beautiful community of Wolli Creek. This would leave a discrepancy in the community and would impact the local business who rely on the community to support them.

I respectfully request that the NSW Government reject the proposed redevelopment of the former Kogarah Golf Club site. The proposal is not an appropriate land use for a location adjacent to the Cooks River and a high-density residential community. I believe that there could be a much better, strategic use of the land that would support and grow the community even further. Please consider the risks to our wonderful Bayside Community and thank you for reading my submission.


Sources
Referencesand, E. (2026a). Communities Are Raising Noise Pollution Concerns About Data Centers | Article | EESI. Eesi.Org. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/communities-are-raising-noise-pollution-concernsabout-data-centersand, E. (2026b). Data Center Power Demands Are Contributing to Higher Energy Bills | Article | EESI. Eesi.Org. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/data-center-power-demands-are-contributing-to-higher-energy-billsBenn Jordan. (2026, February 18). Datacenters Behaving Like Acoustic Weapons. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bP80DEAbuoCommins, P. (2026, June 21). Thirsty and power hungry: Australia is in the middle of a datacentre boom – but are they good for the economy? The Guardian; The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jun/22/australia-ai-datacentre-boom-environmental-impacts-climate-how-sustainable-is-it-artificial-intelligenceEnergy Consumers Australia. (2025). How data centres are reshaping Australia’s energy landscape | Energy Consumers Australia [Review of How data centres are reshaping Australia’s energy landscape | Energy Consumers Australia]. Energyconsumersaustralia.Com.Au. https://energyconsumersaustralia.com.au/news/how-data-centres-are-reshaping-australias-energy-landscapeGraham, B. (2026, June 29). Furious town blocks mega data centre hub. News.Com.Au; news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site for latest headlines. https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/australian-economy/diabolical-huge-ai-call-247-sound-warning-as-blue-mountains-data-centre-knocked-back/news-story/b6dc4fc8631b4bdbacc56eb59857fad1More Perfect Union. (2025a, August 28). We Found the Hidden Cost of Data Centers. It’s in Your Electric Bill. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN6BEUA4jNUMore Perfect Union. (2025b, March 27). We Went To Georgia. Facebook’s Data Center Took This Town Hostage. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGjj7wDYaiIO’kruk, A., & Dewan, A. (2024, August 13). American cities are getting unbearably hot. These ones are roasting the most. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/13/climate/us-cities-heating-up-fastest-dgPaddison, L. (2026, March 30). Scientists have found an alarming environmental impact of vast data centers. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/30/climate/data-centers-are-having-an-underrportedPBS Terra. (2026, May 28). We Saw What AI Data Centers Don’t Want You to See. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p426fSlYH4Stock, P. (2026, March). How will datacentres affect Australia’s power prices, water supply and emissions? The Guardian; The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/02/datacentres-australia-power-prices-water-supply-emissionsTao, Y., & Gao, P. (2025). Global data center expansion and human health: A call for empirical research. Eco-Environment & Health, 4(3), 100157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eehl.2025.100157Zitron, E. (2026, February 13). Premium: The AI Data Center Financial Crisis. Ed Zitron’s Where’s Your Ed At; Ed Zitron's Where's Your Ed At. https://www.wheresyoured.at/data-center-crisis/

I don't think that this mixed use development is an appropriate use of the current green space in the area. I think that not enough space has been left to either maintain or develop new green space through extended tree canopy and parkland, especially in such high value places as on the waterfront. At a minimum, there should be a more significant setback from the waterfront to allow for public green space, particularly for walking and cycle paths. These should ideally be separated to allow for greater connections with an already quite good shared path and active transport network in the area, but good space (ie 40m or more width) should be provided to allow for not only the active transport infrastructure, but also large amounts of native vegetation to be planted around it. This would be extremely high value infrastructure to the community and would allow for meeting places for people, as well as lessening the urban heat island effect.

I'm not necessarily against the whole project, I just think that not enough space is being given to public use. This is especially true given parkland is the perfect use of flood prone land

The project does not allow enough public access to the river. There should be a 40m setback.

There should be seperated connected walkways and cycleways along the river

It is an important part of Sydney’s cycling network and this development should help consolidate that and expand it for this area and connecting links

There shiuld be end of trip facilities to enable the hundreds of workers to commute by bike

The development should contribute to improving water quality of cooks river

Data centers are not appropriate for highly populated regions, due to the health and environmental impacts

To whom it may concern,
I am writing to object to the proposed data centre development on the former Kogarah Golf Course site.
I appreciate that we have an increasingly digital economy and that data centre developments are inevitable. My concern is not with data centres themselves (provided they are sustainably powered), but whether this is an appropriate location for one.
The former golf course represents one of the largest remaining redevelopment opportunities on the Cooks River. Once this riverfront is developed, the opportunity to restore natural riverbanks, expand public open space and improve ecological connectivity will largely be lost for future generations. Unlike industrial land, riverfront land is finite. Decisions made here will shape this part of Sydney for decades.
I am struck by the disconnect between the proposed development and the NSW Government’s frameworks and plans across multiple portfolios. For example, the Adapt NSW resources highlight the importance of green cover and open spaces for health, wellbeing, and ecological benefits, as well as combatting the effects of climate change and reducing urban heat. Similarly, the Department of Planning’s Cooler Places resources discuss the importance of green spaces and canopy cover. These resources are aligned with scientific research that shows the multifaceted health and social benefits of urban green and blue space. By contrast, a data centre emits substantial amounts of heat, and its proposed location costs a valuable opportunity to safeguard green cover and blue space for future generations. The NSW Movement and Place Framework, albeit focussed on transport projects, highlights 36 Built Environment Indicators that should be considered for all projects. Most of these indicators (such as ‘tree canopy,’ ‘biodiversity,’ ‘waterways,’ ‘urban heat’ and ‘impervious surfaces’) would be detrimentally impacted by a proposal such as this. Finally, the Environmental Impact Statement makes no reference to a cost benefit analysis within the NSW Government’s Framework for Valuing Green Infrastructure and Public Spaces. To my read, this would be a crucial project for which to conduct such a cost benefit analysis.
I respectfully ask the Department to reconsider this proposal. With the pace of technological change, a data centre may be obsolete in a decade. I hope the NSW Government will instead choose to invest in future generations through safeguarding this critical green-blue infrastructure.

Please see attached.