About M3
NEXTDC and Kapitol are delivering one of the most connected and cloud-enabled data centres in Melbourne at the M3 site in West Footscray.
Construction of M3 stages 1-4 is currently scheduled for completion by late-2027. Further information is listed below.
We acknowledge that construction activity in the local area can be disruptive, and we appreciate the community’s patience and understanding while works are carried out.
| Stage | Upcoming Works |
|---|---|
| Stage 1 (operational) | Full lighting survey conducted and lights are being redirected away from homes, with additional covers installed. Streetlight brightness at Cala Street pedestrian crossings reduced. Independent noise audit completed. When a change in cooling tower noise was detected, we immediately began building a noise wall and upgrading the machinery. All alarm systems assessed. Works underway to reduce audible noise outside the building. |
| Stage 2 (planned for completion in September 2026) | Internal fit-out, cabling works and commissioning of cooling towers, batteries and generators. | Landscaping, carpark and electrical works continuing adjacent to Cala Street. | Cala Street footpath closed during working hours until mid-August (pedestrian detour via Waiora Parade / Acacia Court and Clarendon Parade). | Testing and commissioning of generators until mid-August (progressively from north to south). | Testing of generators occurs during standard construction hours in accordance with relevant regulations. |
| Stage 3 (planned for completion late-2026) | Electrical substation works | Building works and service connections. |
| Stage 4 (due for completion late-2027) | Construction of data hall buildings. | Roof installations | Continued deliveries of materials and construction equipment | Continued crane works – including demobilisation of tower cranes. |
| Trade partner parking | Extra carparking opened at our Roberts Street storage facility to take more vehicles off local street. Existing trade partner carpark off Paramount Road to be expanded with an additional 300 parking spaces – meaning 1200 vehicles are off local streets every day. Two-hour parking restrictions on local streets and complimentary parking permits available to residents via City of Maribyrnong. |
| Upcoming | Installation of power piles and wires on Waiora Parade by Jemena – currently scheduled for October. Works to expand trade partner carpark off Paramount Road. Re-opening of Cala Street shared use path. Demobilisation of tower cranes. |
NEED TO TALK TO US ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION OF M3?
We understand construction activity can bring noticeable change to the local area, and we recognise that this can be disruptive.
Feedback from residents, businesses and other stakeholders is valuable in helping us identify issues early and improve how we manage the works.
If you have feedback, submit an enquiry and the appropriate member of the team will contact you.
All enquiries and complaints are logged and you’ll receive a response within one week.
CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS
Truck movements: Approved routes online, traffic management plans in place, worker parking off Paramount Road and majority of deliveries via site access on Paramount Road, away from houses.
Noise: Modern equipment, noisy works limited to standard daytime hours, regular noise monitoring, reduced-impact rollers near homes.
Lighting: Redirected and covered in response to resident feedback. If it’s still affecting your home, contact us directly.
Dust: Water suppression and site management on earthworks. If you notice significant dust, let us know the date, time and location. All of these impacts are temporary.
M3 construction is scheduled to be substantially complete by late-2027.
A data centre is the physical home of the internet. Every time someone in West Footscray checks the weather, pays a bill, calls an ambulance, or uses a banking app, they are relying on one. The Australian Government classifies data centres as critical infrastructure. The same as power stations, hospitals, and water treatment plants. This is because modern life depends on them being available, all the time.
Once operational, M3 produces no direct carbon emissions. No fuel is burned on site other than for the few hours per year that generators are running (generally for testing purposes only). NEXTDC offsets approximately 70 per cent of its energy use nationally through renewable energy contracts and on-site solar generation. On water: the facility uses water for cooling on hot days, which is more energy-efficient than air-only cooling. To put the scale in perspective, all of Melbourne’s data centres combined account for just 0.2 per cent of Melbourne’s total water use. This is far less than the city’s public swimming pools or golf courses.
NEXTDC is funding a new electrical substation connecting M3 directly to the high-voltage transmission network, built in close coordination with Jemena. This means the data centre does not draw on the capacity residential streets rely on. Importantly, this significant investment in localised grid infrastructure also extends the improved resilience of the power grid and creates excess grid capacity for the surrounding community. It contributes to the network improvements that the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has linked to lower household network costs across Victoria from 2026 onwards.
Yes. They represent the same safeguard used by every hospital, airport, and emergency facility in Australia. They exist for one purpose: keeping critical digital services running if the power grid fails. At M3 these generators operate for only a few hours per year. Historically, this has almost entirely been for mandatory maintenance testing. Actual emergency use is rare and brief. The air quality impact of a few hours’ annual testing is negligible. Every generator must comply with EPA Victoria air quality standards, which are legally enforceable conditions of our development consent. It is not self-regulation. We test, report, and make results available.
We understand construction activity at our site can bring noticeable change to the local area, and we recognise that this can be disruptive.
Feedback from residents, businesses and other stakeholders is valuable in helping us identify issues early and improve how we manage the works.
If you have feedback, you can submit it via our contact form.
All enquiries and complaints are taken seriously and you can expect a response within 7 days.
