Waste Management Plan for the Macquarie Data Centre

Challenge

The Macquarie Data centre is located in Sydney and owned and operated by Macquarie Data Centres. It has interconnection available to all major carriers, cloud providers and Macquarie’s IC1 co-location facility in Sydney’s central business district.

Macquarie Data Centres proposed to extend the existing data centre to allow for additional data storage capacity at the subject site in North Ryde, improving the overall operational efficiencies and provision of technology services to customers and the wider locality.

The development comprised a seven-storey building plus ground floor, ancillary office space and staff amenities, a back-up power system and associated infrastructure, car parking, loading docks and landscaping.

A waste management plan was required as part of the environmental impact statement to be submitted to the New South Wales Department of Planning, Industry and Environment in support of an application for state significant development.

Solution

SLR was engaged to prepare the waste management plan guided by the City of Ryde’s requirements as well as good and safe practice principles for waste management.

The principal objective of this waste management plan was to identify all potential waste likely to be generated at the development during the construction and operational phases, including a description of how waste would be handled, processed, and disposed of, or re-used or recycled, in accordance with the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs), guided by the Ryde Development Control Plan.

Our team estimated the types and quantities of waste likely to be generated during the operational stage and provided guidance on the general specifications, or review of nominated areas and locations for storage of waste and mixed recyclables, including waste storage and collection points. Advice was provided for general arrangements for access and collections arrangements for contractors to collect waste and mixed recyclables.

Our experts reviewed the waste management requirements of the relevant authorities, provided estimates of the types and quantities of waste and recycling likely to be generated from site preparation and construction activities and provide advice on potential opportunities for waste generated from site preparation and construction activities to be re-used or recycled.

The plan provided advice on the separation and storage recommendations for site preparation and construction waste streams, maintenance and monitoring requirements, waste avoidance and minimisation measures, including communication strategies, waste reuse maximisation measures, and designation of roles and responsibilities.

The operational section of the waste management plan involved checking calculations for waste types and quantities calculated and estimated bin capacity and numbers and potential collection methods calculated. Maintenance and monitoring requirements for waste and mixed recyclables collection, storage areas and waste reduction strategies and waste avoidance and minimisation measures.

Impact

Our team were able to provide advice and solutions to encourage the minimisation of waste production and maximise resource recovery to ensure the appropriate management of contaminated and hazardous waste. The waste management plan assisted in ensuring that any environmental impacts during the operational life of the Development comply with the SEARs, Council’s requirements and those of other relevant regulatory authorities.

It was anticipated that the waste minimisation measures provided will assist the development to meet New South Wales State targets.