Tech company lodges ‘world-class’ plans for Enterprise Park

DA lodged for Coffs’ first-ever data centre.

A ground breaking ceremony took place late last year.

Coffs Harbour will have its first-ever "world-class" commercial data centre at the Airport Enterprise Park, if a development application is approved.

It is claimed the data centre, which will essentially store data, will strengthen Coffs' digital economy - providing much-needed network infrastructure and faster internet speeds.

The company Leading Edge Data Centres recently lodged plans with Coffs Harbour City Council to set up one if its regional facilities on lot 91 of the Enterprise Park development at a cost of around $1-million.

It marks one of the first enterprises to officially lodge plans for the council-owned 98-lot development, which is anticipated to boost employment and attract a mixture of business and new aviation enterprises to the Coffs Coast.

A data centre is where data is stored and processed, and where computers and devices send messages to get a response.

 

An artist's impression of the data centre earmarked for the Coffs Airport Enterprise Park.

 

As most are located in metropolitan areas, this means data currently must travel long distances back and forth from the region - leading to a slower and patchier internet connection.

The new data centre will allow local businesses to host their data and their data processing closer to home, meaning connectivity will be faster and more reliable.

Leading Edge Data Centres will also enable telco providers, other than Telstra, to use the centre - which may create more competition resulting in price reductions.

The data company held a ground breaking ceremony at the site late last year, prior to the DA being lodged.

"Coffs Harbour will now be able to offer a much-improved experience similar to a metropolitan city," CEO Chris Thorpe said.

"It's more important than ever before for our metropolitan and regional communities to be digitally connected with equivalent capabilities."

 

A ground breaking ceremony took place late last year.

 

The facility will be unmanned and will consist of a prefabricated building manufactured offsite with an external shell structure around the facility known as a 'solar shield', as well as airconditioning condensers, generators, cabling and solar panels.

Coffs Harbour Mayor Denise Knight welcomed the growth opportunities that the new Leading Edge Data Centre would give local businesses and the community.

"This new infrastructure will help create almost unlimited opportunities for local businesses and organisations to compete and connect at a global level.

"It really is ushering in a new era for the Coffs Coast," she said.

Management of the estimated $25-million Airport Enterprise Park development, which was approved by the Joint Regional Planning Panel in 2017, has been handed to Palisade Investment Partners under a long-term lease.

The airport has also been privatised in the 50-year lease with an 49-year extension option, which council voted to execute late last year.

Councillors were split on the lease, however it was executed following the mayor's casting vote.