IC3 Super West data centre slated for Sydney

A new data centre has been announced by Macquarie Data Centres, with planning permission expected to be granted in early 2022.

Macquarie Data Centres, part of Macquarie Telecom Group, said the centre will be established at its Macquarie Park Data Centre Campus in Sydney.

Intellicentre 3 Super West (IC3) will be designed, constructed and operated to meet the needs of corporate, government and multinational customers and enhance NSW’s cybersecurity infrastructure and capabilities.

Macquarie has commenced a State Significant Development Application process to build the 32 MW IT load facility. The new facility will reportedly be the largest data centre on the Sydney North Zone campus, bringing the total IT load of the campus to 50 MW. IC3 Super West is designed to seamlessly interconnect with IC3 East.

The company expects the project to create more than 1200 jobs in construction, engineering, cybersecurity and other fields. It expects to complete construction of Phase 1 of IC3 Super West in the second half of calendar year 2023, subject to final board approvals.

“This data centre will attract new investment into Australia from multinationals looking to expand in the Asia–Pacific region,” said Macquarie Telecom Group CEO David Tudehope.

“The NSW digital economy is rapidly growing, and this project will create world-class infrastructure and valuable long-term jobs in the digital and cybersecurity sector.”

IC3 Super West is designed to achieve Security Construction and Equipment Committee (SCEC) Zone 4 or higher security, ISO 27001 and SOC 2 (information security), PCI DSS 3.2, ISO 45001(occupational health and safety), ISO 14001 (environmental management), and a host of other security, safety and efficiency standards.

The Macquarie Park Data Centre Campus will also be the home of the Sovereign Cyber Security Centre of Excellence, with an integrated mix of leading-edge physical and virtual infrastructure designed to monitor and manage cybersecurity events. The 24/7 centre with be monitored by trained engineers equipped with the latest tools. The infrastructure and personnel will be housed in IC3 Super West, offering a truly Australian sovereign solution to the growing cybersecurity threats. This will provide vital skills development to the in-demand sector, which needs around 18,000 new workers in Australia by 2026 according to AustCyber.

“This global-scale data centre will be one of the most certified facilities in the region,” said Macquarie Data Centres Group Executive David Hirst.

“Data is growing exponentially, and we have demonstrated time and time again our ability to deliver infrastructure to meet that growth. Our data centres are sovereign, secure and certified to manage Australia’s most important data and drive the digital economy.”