We have received a planning permit application (Permit App. No: PA26-0190) for a proposed data centre at 585 Berwick-Cranbourne Road, Clyde North.
This is the first planning permit application of this kind received by the City of Casey, and we recognise that this proposal is of significant interest to our community.
The site is located in the Urban Growth Zone, an area identified by the Victorian Government for future growth and development, and is currently zoned Commercial 2 Zone.
August 2026 update
Councillors have ‘called in’ the application. This means the decision-making power for this application has been moved from Council officers to a formal vote by Councillors at a future public Council meeting.
The application has been called in under Council’s Land Use Planning Protocols given it has generated significant community interest, and the decision is likely to be of interest to residents beyond the immediate neighbourhood. ‘Calling in’ is a normal administrative process in local government. It provides transparency and supports community confidence in a significant planning decision, ensuring the matter is considered in a public Council meeting.
What happens next?
Council has not made a decision on this application at this stage.
Our Planning Officers are continuing to review the information provided in the application, and we have requested additional information. We are also seeking information from the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and external water and power authorities.
We do not have a timeframe for a decision currently, which is dependent on the applicant responding to Council’s request for more information and external referral authority responses.
We will continue to provide further updates as the assessment progresses, including details of the future Council meeting at which the application will be considered once these are confirmed.
Community submissions
We are committed to ensuring the application is thoroughly assessed in accordance with Victorian planning legislation and policy, with the best interests of our community at the forefront of the process.
Under the planning rules that apply to this land, the application is not required to undergo public notice and submitters do not have third-party appeal rights. In practical terms, because there is no formal public notice process, community members cannot make a submission that secures their right to seek a review of Council's decision through VCAT if they disagree with the outcome. These requirements are set by the State planning framework rather than Council and have been established to support planning in growth areas.
Although the application is not being publicly advertised and appeal rights do not apply, we will consider key issues raised in submissions when assessing the application. You can learn more about objecting to a planning application here.
More information
We recognise there is growing community interest in data centres. If you'd like to learn more about their role and development across Australia, the following resources may be useful:
- Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications inquiry on Artificial intelligence and data centres.
- Victorian Government’s Sustainable Data Centre Action Plan.