I object to the loss of trees and therefore habitat that will be impacted by the project. These are important buffer zones next to Lane Cove National Park and Great North Walk that are inhabited by wildlife and fauna.

This plan going ahead will result in the removal of 509 trees (Page 9 of EIS - Julius Avenue Data Centre 240625) that are part of the important habitat corridor right next to the Park and the Great North Walk near Fairyland.

Heat island effects, loss of animal habitat, bushfire risk and noise are other issues.

There is loss of habitat for three threatened fauna species, namely: Large-eared Pied Bat Chalinolobus dwyeri, Little Bent-winged Bat Miniopterus australis and Large Bent-winged Bat Miniopterus orianae oceanensis, and four threatened plant species, being Darwinia biflora, Deyeuxia appressa, Hibbertia spanantha and Rhizanthella slateri.

While I understand our increasing need for data centres, what I've read in the environmental report concerns me as someone who regularly walks and works in my local forests (I work full-time as a bush regenerator, for context).

As outlined on page 133 (p.146 in the pdf doc), 6.1.9, this project will have significant impact on biodiversity, including on endangered species. The regrowth at the site after the 2009 bedrock removal will be of local natives that will be difficult to replace (even if the same species are located, seed from other sites won't be as well suited and won't grow as well, the same biodiversity will not be achieved, and the unknown fungal communities that make our forests function will be greatly reduced or no longer present). Although the presence of woody weeds in the area is unfortunate, these can be removed with minimal work if council decides; but even if they weren't, lantana and privet are commonly used as habitat by tens of species of small birds and lizards, insects and all their predators.

I agree with the report that the endangered Darwinia biflora is almost certainly present on site (though I'm less familiar with the presence of bent-wing bat species, that doesn't mean they're not there). I've personally found it in many similar enriched sandstone forests, just like the hectares this project proposes to remove.

Moreover, the noise, air and water pollution, the rubbish, erosion and even things as small as food scraps discarded by workers, will all affect many more hectares of forest, not just the ones proposed to be removed. Weeds creep in from disturbance, meaning bush regenerators like me will need to be called in in the future, and more money will need to be spent on maintaining the forest around the proposed data centre. Local predators and pollinating birds will leave because of the noise, unbalancing ecosystems and letting local populations of plants die without their natural pollinators. Increased run-off will inevitably get into local creeks, further reducing water quality. A few years ago, I found a platypus in nearby St Ives - they live in far lower-quality waters than we used to think - and the creeks there and the ones in Ryde all feed into each other. That is to say, projects like this one have extraordinarily more far-reaching consequences than you may realise.

I imagine this project will go ahead regardless - I'm a bit cynical I'm afraid - but I'd like to thank you for reading and considering my voice. We have so little bushland left, and while I'd be happy for this project to go ahead on a lot that needed development, or somewhere else already cleared, I can't help but object to its location here. Thank you.

I strongly object to this project as the construction will result in the removal of 509 trees that are part of the important habitat corridor next to Lane Cove National Park and the Great North Walk. It will also result in increased urban heat island effects, loss of animal habitat, bushfire risk and noise pollution. Habitats for three threatened fauna species are at risk, namely: Large-eared Pied Bat Chalinolobus dwyeri, Little Bent-winged Bat Miniopterus australis and Large Bent-winged Bat Miniopterus orianae oceanensis, and four threatened plant species are at risk, being Darwinia biflora, Deyeuxia appressa, Hibbertia spanantha and Rhizanthella slateri.

I am concerned that there will be significant noise from the proposed development impacting the natural bush land and Lane Cove River. I have frequently heard noise (continuous droning sound) from a data centre located in Lane Cove West (Apollo Place) when I walk on the Great North Walk on the other side of the Lane Cove River. I can only imagine how intrusive noise from the proposed data centre at Julius Avenue will be. The proposed data centre at Julius Avenue is approximately 500m from the existing Lane Cove West data centre. There must be a cumulative noise impact if there are two data centres located so close. I don't see that this impact has been adequately considered in the current development proposal. This will not only affect people using the national park for recreation but will likely affect the native fauna.

I object to this proposal because of the proposed loss of trees and habitat right on the edge of the Lane Cove National Park making it a major threat to the Park. It is also an area mapped as Threatened Ecological Community, coastal enriched sandstone moist forest which I believe should be sufficient to decline this massive development.

The Lane Cove National Park is an invaluable asset, heat sink and lung for Sydney and has been shown to be enormously important to huge numbers of people, especially during Covid. I also immensely value it. I volunteer my time to weed and help bush regeneration. My neighbours and friends also value this wonderful natural asset we have in Sydney. This park is under enormous pressure as it has such a high edge to area ratio and urban impacts around the edge are very significant. This is proposal impacts where the park is at it's narrowest and any connecting bush is vital to protect and hinder any further degradation of the Park.

The EIS says a total of 509 trees are proposed for removal but 200 trees are of low retention value, that means 309 trees are of retention value , a huge number, have walked into this site from Richardson place on the path and it is beautiful resilient native bush with mature trees and tree hollows with a diverse healthy native understorey. I note Ryde Council has also a minuted meeting where Councillors express their concerns over the amount of tree removal and the replacement ratio.

Other points - Is the EIS completed by someone independent of the development company? It is not obvious this is the case. There are also discrepancies in the report leading to questions of it's validity, eg regarding the size of the land, 29ha at the beginning, where other places refer to 2.6-2.9 ha. There does not appear to be any attempts by the developer to 'avoid' impacts to native vegetation and threatened species which must be done. The rocky outcrop found on the site is significant habitat to threatened microbats, large bent-winged, little bent-winged and large-eared pied bat. Caves and rocky outcrops cannot be offset.

Finally, I cannot understand why a huge $1.5 billion project cannot be located elsewhere on unused and vacant/unoccupied blocks in Macquarie Park where there is ample evidence of both. A Data centre can be located anywhere and does not need to use a very sensitive and ecologically important site for the build.

We are scared. You are actively killing organisms and contributing to climate change. 500 trees may seem to small to powerful people like you but that's evil and inconsiderate it's a disgustingly high toll and will take integral oxygen from our atmosphere, increase global warming and contribute to the impending fatal consequences of climate change, the inevitable erosion and death of our world and all in it. You are stripping the lives and habitats of innocent animals support the balance of our precious ecosystem and will slowly die off and unable to sustain life at all and eventually it will harm us too. You are undoing all our communities efforts to try survive and using up energy and water that is sacred and our community truly needs and snatching it off those already suffering, and families can barely provide it for basic adequate standard of living for individuals under their care. Its horrifying you are even considering and planning to contribute to this, please stop, you have no idea the danger and harm you are doing to the earth and all life on it, every action makes a huge difference, and this could just be the undoing of all of it, please stop immediately, for the wellbeing, safety, and maintenance of life on earth that's already falling apart.
Kind Regards,

Madison Mulhearn (17 years old)

This block provides nesting ground and habitat for the many bird and insect species that exist in Lane Cove national park, it is vital to the biodiversity of the area. Old growth trees cannot be replaced or offset. Planting trees elsewhere will not make up for the destruction of this habitat. Data centres create massive strain on the electrical grid and the generators needed to support it in the event of power outage will create massive amounts of air pollution.

I am a local resident who opposes this project on the basis of the environmental harms and damages it would cause. The demolition of sensitive ecological communities will cause devastating impacts to the wildlife that calls the Lane Cove river corridor their home. This will further push the native fauna imperative to the local ecosystems out from this part of Sydney when their numbers have already dropped drastically. The trees proposed for removal cannot simply be justified by replanting in a new area. Their age indicates they are well established in the area and they provide valuable resources for local fauna. Please consider the impacts on flora and fauna in the outcomes of this project. We cannot further demolish critically sensitive habitats when so much has already been cleared. A better alternative would be to build the data centre in land that has already been cleared without deforesting the Lane Cove River catchment.

I object to this proposal as there has not been sufficient consideration of alternatives to prevent impacts on biodiversity values.
Section 3.6 b) of the EIS state "Consideration was given to carrying out development on alternate sites, these were dismissed as the Site resulted in the most beneficial outcomes for the Proposal. B".
None of these alternate sites are mentioned or discussed. The statement provided is weak and provides no evidence that sufficient investigations have occurred to find alternate sites that would minimise ecological impacts.
The statement 'All potential environmental impacts concerning the proposed development are generally able to be suitably mitigated within the Site; ' is not true. Offsets are required for the proposal, which demonstrates that significant impacts on native vegetation will occur. Which alternatives were investigated that would prevent/minimise impacts on native vegetation?
The removal of over 500 trees is completely unacceptable for the type of development proposed. The vegetation proposed to be removed provides valuable habitat and a wildlife corridor for a variety of native fauna. The protection of this habitat should be prioritised, not dismissed as an unfortunate side-effect.
More can be done to find alternate sites that would result in less impacts. Stop eroding the remaining pockets of wildlife and biodiversity values in Sydney. These values should be protected to the furthest extent possible.