The Trillion Trees team is aware of the proposal for a hyperscale data centre on Bushmead Rd in Hazelmere, and our team was invited to meet with representatives of CDC on Tuesday 22 September as part of their community engagement activity. We were joined by representatives from Woodbridge Ratepayers Association and the Lower Helena Association.
The proposed location is one of the last remaining pockets of precious established native vegetation on private land in Hazelmere, and known locally to provide critical habitat for threatened species of wildlife including black cockatoos and snake necked turtles. This land is part of a special use zone which is designed to buffer residential communities from heavy industrial activities in the City of Swan.
We are concerned about the potential impacts to our local community and the natural environment caused by an industrial development of this scale, in close proximity to residential homes. The height of the proposed CDC data centre is 38m, dwarfing all surrounding industrial buildings and single storey homes. Our mission is to heal landscapes and connect communities through our love of trees.
Throughout the successful campaign against the Hazelmere Hyperscale Data Centre on Stirling Crescent, the community’s voices were consistent and constantly concerned about the significant amenity and environmental impacts of a noisy, polluting, heating data factory adjacent to a school, bushland and residential homes.
As part of our membership of the nationwide Australian Community Alliance for Responsible Data Centres (ACARD), earlier this year we signed an open letter calling for a moratorium on new data centres until there is a deeper understanding of their long-term impacts, and more stringent regulation to protect communities and the environment.
This week, members of this alliance were celebrating their successful advocacy following the high profile withdrawal of Goodman Group from a proposal for a huge data centre in Lane Cove, Sydney. Goodman were subjected to intense scrutiny when they came before the federal senate enquiry into AI and data centres recently - Liberal senator Sarah Henderson repeatedly pressured Goodman's General Manager Ben McGilp, to withdraw the proposal on the spot.
Trillion Trees has provided a detailed submission to the federal senate enquiry outlining our experiences and concerns following our successful community campaign against the Greensquare hyperscale data centre on the banks of the Helena River.
Communities right across the country are facing hundreds of data centre proposals, and current planning and environmental protections are not adequate. We continue to advocate for a world in which all people recognise the value of trees.
The Development Application for the CDC Data Centre is expected to appear for public comment in early October. The plans will appear on Swan Engage for 4 weeks to allow for feedback.