“A closer view of what the data centre will look like. Chris Thorpe, Lauren Ryder, Paul Dickson”
Construction of the Leading Edge Data Centre facility in Mayfield West began today, boosting jobs, creating much-needed network infrastructure, and strengthening the digital economy of Newcastle and the greater Hunter region.
CEO of Leading Edge Data Centres Chris Thorpe said today’s groundbreaking is a significant milestone for regional cities.
“This is a great leap forward towards our Hunter project which will provide the same internet and direct cloud connectivity as any other metropolitan city,” Mr. Thorpe said.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes has welcomed the opportunity for 130 new jobs in the Newcastle region.
“This construction and expansion of IT infrastructure will support the local community, as well as provide new opportunities for economic growth for local businesses. It’s another example of how the City of Newcastle is creating a smart, global city under the Newcastle Smart City Strategy,” Lord Mayor Nelmes said.
The construction is in partnership with Ausgrid, who are providing the land, access to the electrical network, and fibre infrastructure at Mayfield West.
Ausgrid is the largest distributor of electricity on Australia’s east coast and provides power to 1.8 million households and businesses across 22,000 square kilometres covering Sydney, the Central Coast and the Hunter Valley.
Ausgrid Chief Customer Officer, Rob Amphlett Lewis said Ausgrid is delighted to support this project which is aligned to its business purpose of connecting communities and empowering lives.
“It’s more important than ever before for our communities to be connected,” Mr Amphlett Lewis said.
“By collaborating with our partners like Leading Edge Data Centres, Ausgrid not only ensures reliable power for customers, but also supports reliable access to the data their technology relies upon.”
Leading Edge Data Centres rollout is rapidly expanding over 14 regions in NSW over the next 12 months. DA approval has been given by Newcastle Council to open a data centre in Newcastle Airport. Planning is also well advanced on the expansion of the Edge data centre network into regional locations in Victoria and Queensland.
