Clare O’Neil MP highlighted the importance of sovereign data centres at Ground Breaking Ceremony for new AI and Cloud data centre.
Macquarie Data Centres hosted Australia’s Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security, Clare O’Neil MP, to turn the soil at its newest data centre, IC3 Super West, in Sydney’s north zone which is being purpose-built for high-density AI and cloud workloads.
Addressing the audience of senior technology executives and data centre experts at the company’s Ground Breaking Ceremony, the Minister emphasised the role of secure, sovereign data centres in the nation’s digital future.
“Our country has really woken up to and started to fully understand not just the opportunities of a digital future, but also the need to be thinking about cyber and data security at the same time. We have some significant cyber issues and geopolitical tensions to manage as a country and there’s every reason to believe the challenges we see are going to grow and exacerbate in the years ahead,” said the Minister.
The Government’s 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy has a heavy focus on protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure and strengthening its sovereign capabilities.
The campus will include a sovereign Cyber Security Centre of Excellence which integrates the latest in physical and virtual infrastructure security, supported by highly trained Australian Government-cleared engineers.
The centre has received investment from the NSW Government to expand the workforce of cybersecurity experts into the future – boosting the nation’s sovereign capability in the cyber domain.
“This is a big opportunity for Australia and one we are uniquely placed to benefit from. We have extraordinary companies which are doing world-leading things and Macquarie is among them. One of the great things about Macquarie is that it’s based in Australia and owned by Australians. This is sovereign capability and will create jobs in technology and construction,” said O’Neil.
IC3 Super West will be the third and largest addition to Macquarie Data Centres’ flagship Macquarie Park Data Centre Campus. The facility will bring the total campus IT load up to 63 megawatts (MW), with all the end state power already secured.
Macquarie Data Centres Group Executive, David Hirst, said: “So profound is the impact of AI and cloud, that it’s being hailed as the fourth industrial revolution, powered by a different kind of factory, AI factories. Scalable and flexible data centres purpose-built for high-density compute.
“IC3 Super West is our answer to the nation’s need for sovereign AI and cloud data centre capacity. As we continue to expand, we will be acquiring new campuses here in Sydney’s north zone. We’re committed to supporting the growth of Australia’s digital economy and retain our intellectual property within Australia.”
Construction on the facility started in June after Macquarie Data Centres appointed leading Australian construction provider FDC Construction as the main build contractor.
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