AirTrunk has proposed a new data centre campus at 45 Donnybrook Road, Mickleham, bringing the potential for long-term jobs, local business opportunities and investment in Melbourne’s north.
The proposal is expected to support more than 1,000 ongoing local jobs and create further opportunities for workers, suppliers and businesses during construction. Subject to the necessary approvals, AirTrunk is also proposing a $26.5 million investments into local community infrastructure, skills and education, including:
- $6.5m to a Victorian Skills Partnership to support the electrical and technical workforce needed for data centres, energy infrastructure and broader electrification.
- $5m to the delivery of local sporting and recreation infrastructure to support community participation and wellbeing.
- $15m for education and training facilities in the Mickleham area, helping local residents learn and study closer to home.
- An expanded Social Impact Program in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, providing ongoing support through partnerships in education, biodiversity and conservation, and digital inclusion.
The campus has been designed to use air-based cooling and would not use community water for cooling during normal operations. The site is more than 400 metres from the nearest home, with the design intended to screen equipment and minimise noise beyond the site.
AirTrunk will fund the infrastructure required to connect the campus to the Victorian transmission network. We are committed to matching its electricity use with renewable energy and is exploring opportunities to support new renewable energy projects.
AirTrunk is holding community information sessions and a webinar in November to share details about the proposal and hear feedback on local opportunities, community benefits and construction impacts.
“We want to engage with people who live and work in Mickleham and the surrounding area,” said Rob Bartrop, Associate Vice President of Social Impact & Community at AirTrunk.
“We’re committed to keeping the community informed, creating opportunities for people to participate in the training, employment and procurement opportunities, and to investing into much-needed community infrastructure in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.”
The proposal is subject to planning and environmental approvals. More information, including details of consultation opportunities, is available at airtrunk.com/mickleham.