Ipswich council pushes back on 10-storey Swanbank data centre
The application was first reported on 19 August. Since then the council has sent a long information request, and the clock on the reply is close to running out.
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Ipswich City Council has asked the applicant behind a proposed 10-storey data centre at Swanbank to rework or justify much of the design, according to a W.Media report published on 29 September. The council issued its information request on 24 August, five days after The Urban Developer first reported the application. We found no later report of a decision, so the application appears to be still open.
Why it matters
When it was first reported, the project looked like a simple code-assessed application, which means no public notification. That pathway drew concern from nearby residents, The Urban Developer reported. The information request shows council questioning the proposal on height, ground conditions and water, at a site close to Powerlink’s Blackstone substation.
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The applicant is Northern Concept Swanb Pty Ltd, with HPC Planning preparing the town planning report. The site is Lot 5 Six Leaf Street, an established industrial precinct about 6 kilometres west of Ipswich. HPC’s report recommends approval with conditions, W.Media says. That is the applicant’s own planner, not a council decision.
The numbers
The building would be 10 storeys and 72.25 metres high, with a gross floor area of 82,576 square metres in the planning report. W.Media says the architectural plans show about 103,954 square metres in total. Neither outlet states a cost or a megawatt capacity.
The council’s requests, as W.Media summarises them:
- Height: the building substantially exceeds the scale the code anticipates. Council wants a new built-form assessment and options to reduce height and bulk.
- Defence: it exceeds the 90 metre AHD RAAF height restriction zone, so council wants a risk assessment or written approval from Defence and Airservices Australia. HPC had concluded the proposal complied.
- Parking: 589 car spaces against a peak demand of about 177 staff.
- Mining: a site-specific geotechnical report on subsidence and old mine workings.
- Water: the engineering report says demand may exceed what the adjacent network can supply without major upgrades.
- Vegetation: about 3,190 native trees would be removed, affecting 3.73 hectares of remnant vegetation.
What’s next
The applicant has three months from 24 August to respond, which runs to about 24 November, unless council agrees to a longer period. It may also provide only part of the information and ask council to proceed. W.Media says Powerlink is a referral agency because the site is within 100 metres of the Blackstone substation, and that Santos gave conditional approval on 5 May over a nearby gas pipeline.
Watch for whether the applicant lowers the building, how it answers Defence on height, and whether a water solution such as recycled water or closed-loop cooling is put forward. For Ipswich industrial landowners and contractors, the outcome will show how council treats a tall building in an industrial zone. Until council decides, this remains a proposal.
Quick answers
What is the latest on Swanbank data centre?
The application was first reported on 19 August. Since then the council has sent a long information request, and the clock on the reply is close to running out.
Which companies are named in the Swanbank data centre story?
Northern Concept Swanb is named in this story, which cites The Urban Developer and W.Media.
What are the key numbers for Swanbank data centre?
storeys proposed: 10; proposed height: 72.25m; gross floor area in planning report: 82,576 sq m; car spaces proposed: 589.
On the record
Counting the 24 August information request plus the three-month reply window gives a response date of about 24 November, unless council agrees to a longer period.
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