17/08/2026

By Violet Li

Casey Council has confirmed it is legally able to voluntarily notify residents about the proposed $1.1 billion Clyde North data centre but says doing so would create unnecessary delay and uncertainty.

The clarification came after Casey Residents and Ratepayers Association (CRRA) president Anthony Tassone questioned whether planning rules merely removed the council’s obligation to give public notice, or actually prevented it from seeking community feedback.

The proposed data centre at 585 Berwick-Cranbourne Road covers about 53.6 hectares and has an estimated development value of $1.1 billion.

The application is exempt from the usual public notice and third-party VCAT review requirements under the Urban Growth Zone provisions.

In its response to CRRA, Council confirmed the Planning and Environment Act did not prevent it from voluntarily notifying a permit application.

However, Council said voluntarily advertising an application that was specifically exempt from notice was not considered an ‘efficient administration’ of the planning scheme and could cause confusion over whether residents had formal objection and appeal rights.

Council acknowledged the proposal had attracted significant public interest and said some residents had already made submissions.

While those submissions do not carry formal third-party review rights, planning officers would still consider the key issues they raised.

Mr Tassone said the response confirmed council had made a choice not to voluntarily consult residents.

“Just because you don’t have to consult does not mean you shouldn’t,” he said.

“For a proposal of this scale and significance, efficiency should not override transparency and genuine community consultation.”

CRRA welcomed the recent decision to have the application determined publicly by elected councillors, but argued that should not replace consultation before a decision was made.

Mr Tassone also rejected council’s argument that consultation had already occurred through the Croskell Precinct Structure Plan process, saying the exhibited plan did not specifically identify a data centre of this scale and nature.