31/07/2026

By Violet Li

A petition opposing a proposed $1.1 billion data centre in Clyde North is nearing 1000 signatures.

The petition, launched by Clyde North resident Lee Zelig on 25 July, had attracted more than 880 verified signatures by 31 July.

It calls for the proposed 53.6-hectare development at 585 Berwick-Cranbourne Road to be halted until concerns around noise, electricity and water demand, neighbourhood character and other potential impacts are examined.

Ms Zelig’s son Saar Zelig spoke to Star News on behalf of his mother, who did not wish to speak publicly.

Mr Zelig believed many nearby residents had also been unaware of the proposal.

“My mum said there was no online representation, barely any publicity or public consultation being made,” he said.

“There was no one that had any awareness, which is why we started this petition on Change.org to rally the people.”

He said his family moved to Clyde North because they love the place, the atmosphere, and it’s a good sense of community around here.

“There’s something special about this place, and that’s why we don’t want to see it harmed,” he said.

“We feel that this proposed data centre is in the heart of the community. My house is only a few minutes away.

“I’m scared for myself because as a university student, I like studying at home.

“I like going on morning walks in my local park at Smith Lane, but if I hear this constant humming in the background, this distracting noise of the cooling fans and the HVAC systems that operate when they have these data centres, how will I be impacted?

“It’s almost unfair.”

Mr Zelig said putting an industrialized large infrastructure like a data centre, right in the middle of the residential area ruins not just the property values, but it has a big visual impact.

“It ruins the whole sense of community,” he said.

“People feel that it’s almost like a city. It’s not going to be a friendly suburb anymore.”

Mr Zelig said he was not opposed to data centres or AI technology but questioned whether a development of this scale belonged so close to residential areas.

“One thing I know about a data centre itself is that it takes up a lot of resources beyond any other regular typical industrial building or infrastructure,” he said.

“The traffic and the construction might take months or even years… I’m also talking about how data centres impact the electricity, the water bill, the air pollution, the radiation. That’s something that other industrial infrastructure typically don’t have as much of an impact in.

“I’m not against having a little bit of industrial infrastructure over there, but I am against something that will cause a massive kind of shock wave of impact to everyone around, and they’re not going to be ready for it.

“They’re not going to be prepared for it because there hasn’t been enough transparency and genuine consultation before this decision is being made.”

Mr Zelig said organisers hoped to eventually attract several thousand signatures and were considering a larger community protest.

Casey Council said no decision had been made on the application, which is the first data centre planning permit application received by the municipality.

Council planning officers are assessing the proposal and have requested further information, while also seeking advice from the EPA and water and power authorities.

The site is within the Urban Growth Zone and, under State planning provisions applying to the land, the application is exempt from standard public notice requirements and third-party appeal rights.

However, Council said it would still consider issues raised through submissions.

Casey Mayor Cr Stefan Koomen told Star News before that councillors would be briefed on the proposal, and it would be inappropriate to form a view before all relevant information was received.

The Clyde North campaign has also become part of a broader Change.org movement titled Halt data centre development Australia/NZ, which currently groups 24 petitions with more than 82,000 supporters.

The movement includes campaigns from communities across Australia and New Zealand opposing data centre and AI infrastructure proposals near homes, waterways and other sensitive areas, with campaigners commonly raising concerns about consultation, noise, heat and energy use.