The City of Casey will undertake community consultation later this year to better understand local views and concerns about data centre development and advocate for stronger planning rules and community consultation requirements across Victoria.
At its Council Meeting on Tuesday 15 September, Council resolved to undertake community consultation, to be completed by 30 November 2026, to help inform advocacy to the Victorian Government on how future data centre proposals should be planned and assessed.
The Notice of Motion, raised by Councillor Shane Taylor and unanimously supported by Councillors, also resolved for Council to write to relevant Victorian Government Ministers calling for changes to the current planning framework, including:
- Stronger and clearer planning policies for data centres
- Greater guidance for councils assessing data centre proposals
- Mandatory public notice and community consultation for all data centre planning permit applications
City of Casey Mayor Cr Michelle Crowther said data centres were a relatively new and rapidly growing type of development, but Victoria currently lacked specific planning policy guidance to help councils and communities navigate these proposals.
“As more of these developments are proposed across Victoria, it is important that communities have their views heard,” Cr Crowther said.
“We know there is strong community interest in this issue, and we want to better understand residents’ expectations, priorities and concerns so we can advocate for improvements to the current planning framework.”
Cr Crowther said feedback gathered through the consultation would help shape Council’s advocacy to the Victorian Government.
“We're encouraging our community to have their say when the consultation opens later this year through Casey Conversations,” she said.
“The feedback we receive will strengthen our advocacy for clearer planning policies, better guidance for councils and improved community consultation requirements for future data centre proposals.”
Council emphasised that the Notice of Motion is focused on broader planning policy and advocacy rather than any individual planning permit application.
The proposed consultation will explore data centre development in Casey more broadly and will not determine the outcome of the current planning permit application for a proposed data centre at 585 Berwick-Cranbourne Road, Clyde North.
The Clyde North application is being assessed separately through the statutory planning process in accordance with current Victorian planning legislation, the Casey Planning Scheme and the Croskell (Employment) Precinct Structure Plan.
As that application has been called in for determination by Councillors at a future Council Meeting, Councillors must remain impartial and will consider the application through the formal statutory planning process.
Further information about the community consultation, including how and when the community can participate, will be provided through Casey Conversations and Council’s communication channels once consultation is finalised.
More information
For more information about the Clyde North planning permit application visit: www.casey.vic.gov.au/news/update-planning-permit-application-data-centre-clyde-north
For full details of the Notice of Motion, view the Council Meeting Agenda and Minutes online.