Plan for controversial Sydney information centre scrapped after push-back

Plans for an information centre which might have been constructed metres from individuals’s houses in a Sydney suburb have been scrapped following intense push-back by campaigners.

The information centre was being developed by Goodman Group, Australia’s greatest property firm, and would have seen it assemble a A$1.2bn (£630m; $841m), 90-megawatt facility generally known as Project Mars within the Lane Cove space.

The firm confirmed it was withdrawing its software in a letter to the native planning authority. It follows a concerted opposition towards the information centre by native residents and campaigners.

The dispute captures a wider disagreement in Australia over the function of information centres.

With the mainstreaming of generative AI lately, there was an enormous swell in demand for information centres, and Australia – with its abundance of fresh vitality, pure fuel reserves, and land – has grow to be a global destination for their construction.

However, whereas the nation’s authorities has been eager to draw asset placement from world AI corporations, there has additionally been stiff opposition as a result of large calls for the centres place on water and vitality provides, and the disruption they trigger native communities.

The proposal for Project Mars, which might have been constructed about 20 metres from the closest home within the suburb of Lane Cove, obtained 374 submissions throughout a session – with simply 9 in help of it.

According to native information web site In the Cove, that is highest variety of submissions ever obtained for a data centre application, external.

In its letter to New South Wales Department of Planning, Goodman Group stated since beginning the planning course of in March 2025, it had “undertaken in depth technical investigations, stakeholder engagement and group session”.

“During this time, the coverage and regulatory atmosphere for large-scale information centre improvement has developed considerably,” it stated.

It stated it had “rigorously thought-about these modifications” together with the “views of the local people”, and concluded it will not proceed with the event.

The choice by Goodman Group follows an announcement by the New South Wales authorities final month that it will be introducing a fast-track programme for information centres.

The programme would permit them to be assessed inside 75 days, offered they meet necessities round sure requirements and fund the extra provide of water and vitality.

In a message posted to the Facebook web page of Lane Cove Responsible Planning Group, Anthony Roberts, a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Lane Cove, stated it was “an enormous win for the Lane Cove West group”.

“This is a commonsense win for our group,” he stated.

“This victory sends a transparent message to different information centre builders. To discover appropriate places earlier than placing proposals ahead.

“Data centres have an necessary function to play, however developments of this dimension and scale have to be appropriately situated and deliberate with the encircling group in thoughts.”