Macquarie Data Centres has acquired a AUD 240 million development site in Sydney’s Macquarie Park, unveiling plans for a new engineering and technology campus centred on a proposed 200MW data centre designed to support AI, cloud and hyperscale workloads. The acquisition marks one of the largest recent land investments in Sydney’s North Zone (AZ1) and significantly expands Macquarie Data Centres’ long-term capacity in one of Australia’s most fibre-connected technology precincts.
Completion of the purchase is expected in the coming weeks, with the first stage of the campus targeted for completion in late 2029, subject to planning and power approvals. The 34,200sqm site will form part of an engineering and technology campus that combines digital infrastructure with research, education and community facilities, reflecting the operator’s strategy of integrating data centre development with broader technology ecosystems.
“Alongside the ~200MW of Australian-owned and operated data centre this will deliver to Sydney’s north zone, the proposed campus will also deliver lasting benefit to the local community,” said David Hirst, CEO of Macquarie Data Centres (above).
“In partnership with Macquarie University, students and researchers will gain hands-on access to the latest data centre, cyber security and cloud technologies. It will also provide a more than one-acre sized intergenerational community park for City of Ryde residents.”
AI infrastructure and university collaboration
The proposed development builds on Macquarie Technology Group’s recently announced partnership with Macquarie University and is intended to provide students and researchers with practical access to technologies spanning data centres, AI, cyber security and cloud computing.
Macquarie said the facility is being designed to support high-density AI deployments through direct-to-chip liquid cooling alongside advanced air-cooled infrastructure. Primary heat rejection will rely on advanced closed-loop air-cooling technology intended to minimise operational water consumption while retaining flexibility to accommodate future high-density customer requirements.
The campus will be located within Macquarie Park, one of Sydney’s most established technology precincts and a major fibre connectivity hub. The company said customers will have the opportunity to work with Macquarie during the design phase to incorporate specific technical requirements before construction begins.
The project would substantially expand Macquarie Data Centres’ presence in Sydney’s North Zone. The operator currently has approximately 67MW of operational and under-development IT capacity across its Sydney campuses, including the 47MW IC3 Super West facility, which is due to enter service this year.
Community features incorporated into design
Beyond the data centre itself, Macquarie said it plans to incorporate a range of community amenities into the campus. These include a park of more than one acre, a community garden and an outdoor art gallery showcasing local artists, Macquarie University students and the area’s history. The company said the facilities would be developed as part of the planning process and are subject to regulatory approvals.
The proposal also reflects growing attention on the broader social impacts of hyperscale infrastructure projects as operators seek to demonstrate benefits beyond digital capacity, particularly following increased government scrutiny of AI infrastructure developments.
Speaking at Sydney Cloud & Datacenter Convention
The announcement comes ahead of David Hirst’s appearance at the Sydney Cloud & Datacenter Convention 2026, where he will take part in a keynote fireside chat examining how Australia’s data centre sector can scale to meet accelerating AI demand.
During the session, titled “The Data Centre CEO Outlook – Scaling Infrastructure in a Competitive Market,” Hirst will discuss Australia’s role in the global AI infrastructure race, why the country should aspire to be an AI maker rather than simply an AI user, the investment and infrastructure required to support the next generation of AI workloads, and what responsible large-scale data centre development looks like as demand for digital infrastructure continues to grow.
The Sydney Cloud & Datacenter Convention takes place on 16–17 September 2026 at the ICC Sydney, bringing together data centre operators, cloud providers, technology vendors and enterprise leaders to discuss the future of digital infrastructure in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.