Casey Residents & Ratepayers Association

21/08/2026

📻 ABC 774 MELBOURNE LIVE AT BUNJIL PLACE

ABC Melbourne 774 is coming to Bunjil Place in Narre Warren from Tuesday 25 to Friday 28 August, broadcasting a range of programs live from the heart of our community.

Residents are welcome to come down to Bunjil Place, see the broadcasts in action and hear the conversations taking place live. 🎙️

As part of the week, CRRA President Anthony Tassone will be appearing on The Conversation Hour with Mary Gearin on Tuesday 25 August between 11am and 12pm.

Anthony is looking forward to joining the discussion and talking about some of the local issues that matter to residents across Casey.

📍 Bunjil Place, Narre Warren
📅 Tuesday 25 to Friday 28 August

👉 Check out the full ABC 774 program and details here:

https://www.abc.net.au/melbourne/774-at-bunjil/106750570

It’s a great opportunity to see live radio in action and to have conversations about our local community heard across Melbourne. 📻🎙️

774 ABC Melbourne is coming to Bunjil Place in Narre Warren. If you want to meet some of your favourite presenters, come and say hi while we broadcast live from Bunjil Place.

21/08/2026

The CRRA welcomes the registering of the name of Berwick Springs Reserve in the wetlands and parks around Berwick springs estate and thank City of Casey for the role they played.

We acknowledge the ongoing concerns of residents with the lack of consultation with gazetting of a name of Berwick Springs Lake and we support Save Berwick Springs Lake Name in their ongoing advocacy to ensure the community is properly heard.

Great news for our community!

A place many local residents have known and loved for years has now received official recognition, with Geographic Names Victoria formally gazetting the name Berwick Springs Reserve.

For many years, this wetland and reserve area has been a popular destination for walking, exercising and spending time with family and friends. While the name has long been part of our community's identity, it had never been officially recognised until now.

I'm proud that council played a role in securing this outcome by seeking formal recognition of this well-known community name.

Officially recognising Berwick Springs Reserve helps preserve an important part of our local identity for future generations.

20/08/2026

🏛️ CLYDE NORTH DATA CENTRE DOMINATES COUNCIL PUBLIC QUESTION TIME

At Tuesday night’s City of Casey Council meeting, 14 of the 18 public questions asked were about the proposed Clyde North data centre.

That level of interest speaks for itself.

Residents raised questions about:

🔹 The size and capacity of the proposed data centre

Council said the application proposes a maximum capacity of 488MW, noting comparisons with other data centres can be difficult.

🔹 Why residents were not consulted

Council again pointed to the application’s location within the Croskell (Employment) Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) area and the exemption from statutory public notice as being within the Urban Growth Zone.

🔹 Public access to the application

Residents questioned how the community can meaningfully respond when the application itself is not publicly advertised or available for review, particularly when the Croskell PSP consultation did not specifically identify a data centre of this nature and scale.

Council acknowledged community concern about the exemption and highlighted that Councillors have now called in the application, but did not commit to making the application publicly available.

🔹 EPA assessment and environmental impacts

Residents asked about noise, air emissions, backup generators, health impacts and environmental risks. Council confirmed the application has been referred to the EPA and that EPA advice will be considered before officers make a recommendation to Councillors.

🔹 Electricity and water demand

Council confirmed it is seeking advice from AusNet Electricity Services on electricity demand and South East Water on water demand.

🔹 Wildlife and biodiversity

Council said biodiversity was assessed through the Croskell PSP process and that no significant biodiversity values were identified on the site. It also referred to a broader Commonwealth environmental approval process.

🔹 Health and amenity

Council said the applicant has submitted technical reports covering matters including air quality and noise, which Council and the EPA are assessing.

🔹 Whether data centres should be paused or subject to a moratorium

Council described data centres as an emerging planning issue across Victoria and said discussions about the proposal and the roles of State and Federal governments are continuing.

🔹 When the decision will be made

Council confirmed the application has been called in, meaning elected Councillors will decide it at a future public Council meeting.

📣 Fourteen of eighteen public questions being about one planning application is a clear indication of the level of community interest.

CRRA welcomes the decision to have Councillors determine the application publicly, but we continue to advocate that residents should be given meaningful access to the proposal and an opportunity to understand and respond to it before that decision is made.

❗️ Just because formal consultation is not required does not mean genuine community consultation should not occur.

👇 View City of Casey’s past Council meeting agendas and minutes:
https://www.casey.vic.gov.au/access-past-meetings-minutes-agendas

19/08/2026

🌿 UPDATE: EPA REVIEWING CLYDE NORTH DATA CENTRE PROPOSAL

CRRA recently wrote to Environment Protection Authority Victoria regarding the proposed $1.1 billion data centre at 585 Berwick-Cranbourne Road, Clyde North, raising a number of environmental matters for consideration.

EPA has now responded to CRRA and confirmed:

“EPA is currently reviewing the proposed data centre development application for 585 Berwick-Cranbourne Road, Clyde North, with a focus on the acoustic and air emissions reports. The assessment remains ongoing and no determination has been made to date.”

🔊 Acoustic impacts and air emissions were among the key matters CRRA raised with EPA, along with backup generation, water use, cumulative environmental impacts, and appropriate monitoring and compliance measures.

✅ CRRA welcomes EPA’s ongoing assessment.

For a development of this scale, we believe the environmental impacts must be rigorously assessed and any risks and mitigation measures clearly identified and transparently communicated to the community.

📣 We will continue to keep residents informed as further information becomes available.

18/08/2026

We congratulate Cr Michelle Crowther for being elected Mayor and Councillor Anthony Walter elected Deputy Mayor of City of Casey.

We wish them the best of luck in their new roles.

Thank you Cr Stefan Koomen JP for his service of Mayor since first elected in council in 2024.

Please join us in congratulating the City of Casey's newly elected Mayor, Cr Michelle Crowther and Deputy Mayor, Cr Anthony Walter.

We welcome their commitment and look forward to working closely over the next few months.

They will hold the positions of Mayor and Deputy Mayor until November, when the Annual Mayoral Election will then take place to elect a Mayor and Deputy Mayor for a 12 month period.

Thank you also goes to our outgoing Mayor, Cr Stefan Koomen for his dedication and community contributions in the role since November 2024.

17/08/2026

📰 IN THE NEWS: CLYDE NORTH DATA CENTRE CONSULTATION

Cranbourne Star News has reported on CRRA’s correspondence with the City of Casey about community consultation on the proposed $1.1 billion Clyde North data centre.

📣 Council has confirmed it can voluntarily notify residents, but has chosen not to.

❗️ Just because you don’t have to consult does not mean you shouldn’t.

✅ CRRA welcomes the decision to have the application determined publicly by elected Councillors.

However, we continue to believe efficiency should not override transparency and genuine community consultation.

🗣️ Residents deserve a meaningful opportunity to understand and respond to a proposal of this scale before a final decision is made.

👇 Read the full Star News story:
https://cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au/news/2026-08-17/casey-council-defends-decision-not-to-consult-on-1-1b-data-centre/

Casey Council has confirmed it is legally able to voluntarily notify residents about the proposed $1.1 billion Clyde North data centre but says doing so would create unnecessary delay and uncertainty. The clarification came after Casey Residents and Ratepayers Association (CRRA) president Anthony Ta...

14/08/2026

📰 PLACE OF WORSHIP PROPOSAL TO GO BEFORE CASEY COUNCILLORS

An important update on the proposed place of worship at 600 Cranbourne-Frankston Road, Cranbourne South, within the Western Port Green Wedge.

🏛️ The planning application has now been formally “called in” following significant community interest. This means the decision will be made publicly by City of Casey councillors, rather than by Council officers under delegation, and is expected to be considered at the 15 September Council meeting.

📣 Council has received 237 objections to the proposal.

The application is for a two-storey, 3,515-square-metre, $3.5 million facility, accommodating up to 300 people for regular Sunday services and up to 400 people for special events, with 120 car spaces.

The Casey Residents and Ratepayers Association (CRRA) has lodged a formal objection and has been clear about the basis of our concerns.

🌿 This is not about religion or the particular faith group behind this application. It is about planning, appropriate land use and protecting the purpose of our Green Wedge.

Places of worship are an important part of our diverse and growing community. The issue is whether urban-intensity facilities of this scale should be located within Green Wedge land.

Our Green Wedges were established as non-urban areas for a reason.

Progressively approving large-scale institutional and urban-style developments risks eroding the very purpose the Green Wedge is intended to serve.

Importantly, Council has confirmed its assessment will consider traffic and access, environmental impacts, neighbourhood amenity, relevant planning policy and the appropriateness of the proposal within the Western Port Green Wedge.

All community submissions received will also be reviewed and considered.

🌱 For CRRA, that question of appropriate land use is fundamental.

Our growing communities need proper strategic planning for places of worship and other community infrastructure within the Urban Growth Boundary, where appropriately zoned land, roads, services and infrastructure can support them.

The 237 objections lodged demonstrate the significant community interest in this proposal and the broader future of our Green Wedge.

CRRA welcomes the transparency of having this matter considered publicly by our elected councillors and will continue to keep the community informed.

🌿 The Green Wedge is worth protecting for generations to come.

📰 Read the Cranbourne Star News article:
https://cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au/news/2026-08-14/green-wedge-church-proposal-to-go-to-council-vote/

A controversial church proposal in Cranbourne South will be decided by Casey councillors next month. The planning application for a place of worship at 600 Cranbourne-Frankston Road was formally “called in” amid significant community interest, which means the application will be decided at the c...

13/08/2026

🏗️ UPDATE: COUNCILLORS TO DECIDE CLYDE NORTH DATA CENTRE APPLICATION

The City of Casey has confirmed that the proposed $1.1 billion data centre at 585 Berwick-Cranbourne Road, Clyde North (PA26-0190) has been called in for a decision by elected Councillors at a future public Council meeting.

✅ CRRA welcomes the call-in. A proposal of this scale and significance should be determined publicly by elected Councillors.

Council has also confirmed that no decision has been made, further information has been requested from the applicant, and input is being sought from the EPA and external water and power authorities.

📣 But Council has chosen not to voluntarily notify the community.

CRRA recently asked Council whether it was prevented from voluntarily notifying residents because this application is exempt from the formal public notice process.

Council’s response was clear:

“The Act does not prevent Council from voluntarily notifying a permit application.”

Council went on to say that voluntarily notifying an exempt application is “not considered the efficient administration of the planning scheme” and could introduce delay and uncertainty.

So the position is clear:

👉 Council can voluntarily notify the community. It has chosen not to.

CRRA strongly disagrees with that decision.

For a $1.1 billion development of this scale alongside growing residential communities, we believe residents deserve a meaningful opportunity to understand the proposal, ask questions and have their voices heard before a decision is made.

🗣️ Calling the application in is a positive step. Meaningful community consultation should be the next one.

CRRA will continue advocating for community engagement, including through our request to Galileo Group for a community forum.

👇 For transparency, we’ll post Council’s full response to CRRA about voluntary notification in the comments below.

🔗 Read Council’s latest update:
https://www.casey.vic.gov.au/news/update-planning-permit-application-data-centre-clyde-north

12/08/2026

🏗️ CRRA CALLS FOR COMMUNITY FORUM ON $1.1 BILLION CLYDE NORTH DATA CENTRE

CRRA has formally written to Galileo Group, the proponent of the proposed $1.1 billion data centre at 585 Berwick-Cranbourne Road, Clyde North, inviting them to engage directly with the local community.

Since the proposal became publicly known, we’ve heard from many residents seeking answers about the development and wanting their concerns and local perspectives to be heard.

That’s why we’ve asked Galileo Group to consider holding a community information session or forum where residents can:

❓ Ask questions directly of the project team
ℹ️ Hear factual information about the proposal and how it would operate
⚡ Better understand its infrastructure requirements and potential impacts
🗣️ Have their concerns and local perspectives heard

With no formal public notice process by City of Casey applying to this planning application, we believe there is an even stronger case for genuine, voluntary community engagement.

Residents deserve the opportunity to ask questions and a forum will provide an opportunity for Galileo Group to further explain the proposal.

📩 We’ve formally extended the invitation. We hope Galileo Group accepts it.

We’ll keep the community updated on their response.

10/08/2026

City of Casey Mayor update

A quick update on the next steps following my announcement to run for Victorian Parliament.

I’ve confirmed that I will step down as Mayor on Tuesday 18 August, to allow for a smooth transition to a new Mayor, who will be elected at a Special Council Meeting that afternoon.

I’m grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to serve twice as your Mayor, and I look forward to continuing to work hard and deliver outcomes for our community.

The City of Casey has published the official announcement below.

casey.vic.gov.au/news/cr-stefan-koomen-announces-intention-run-victorian-parliament