Goodman Group has withdrawn its $1.2 billion “Project Mars” datacentre proposal for Lane Cove in Sydney’s north, saying that “emerging” regulations from both state and federal governments made the project untenable.
The developer removed the plans from the New South Wales planning portal on Monday, effectively ending the application process for the large‑scale data facility.
In a statement posted on its website, Goodman Group said the policy and regulatory environment for large‑scale datacentres had “evolved significantly,” prompting the decision to pull the plug on the project.
Datacentres are a key part of Australia’s digital infrastructure, and Sydney – the country’s most populous city – has attracted several high‑profile proposals in recent years. However, increasing scrutiny over energy use, emissions and land‑use planning has led governments to tighten rules for such developments.
The cancellation underscores the growing challenges that developers face when navigating the shifting regulatory landscape for high‑cost technology projects. Goodman Group did not provide further details on the specific regulations that influenced its decision.
<small>Source: The Guardian — read the original story there.</small>
