Microsoft began construction for the Garden Drive Datacenter in December 2022. The Datacenter construction site is located on Garden Drive in Tullamarine, Melbourne in the state of Victoria. 

Why datacenters are needed

Datacenters provide the physical infrastructure for the technology we depend on at work and in our personal lives. Whenever you open an app on your phone, join a virtual classroom or meeting, snap and save photos, or play a game with your friends online, you are using a Datacenter. Local businesses, government, hospitals, and schools rely on Datacenters every day to deliver goods and services to you.

February, 2025: Garden Drive Construction update

Construction works including the structure, roofing, and façade, along with internal car park, walkways, and landscaping surrounding the area are now complete.

Most of the essential temporary structures that were erected to aid in construction, such as scaffolding, builders’ hoists, and landing platforms, have been dismantled and cleared from the site. Crews are now focused on finalising building fit-out works.

In parallel, work on the site’s substation has commenced and is in its early stages of construction. The substation will be housed within the site boundaries and will meet all Australian and EPA guidelines and regulations.

December, 2022: Breaking ground with community leaders at Melbourne datacenter sites

On December 5, 2022, Microsoft and our construction partners welcomed local community leaders to groundbreaking ceremonies at three of our Melbourne datacenter locations: Garden Drive, Cawley Road, and Woods Road. Together with our general contractors, Kapitol Group and BESIX Watpac, and our partners, AusNet Services, Aurecon, ERM, and Turner & Townsend, we honored members of the Hume Council, Maribyrnong Council, Wyndham Council, and Invest Victoria to these three sites to mark the commencement of construction.

Wurundjeri Traditional Owners opened the groundbreaking events with Welcome to Country (Tanderrum) and Smoking Ceremonies.

The Melbourne datacenters will help provide the physical infrastructure for the technology we depend on at work and in our personal lives. Cloud services play an increasingly significant role in our lives—enabling remote work and learning, global collaboration, and business continuity; supporting discovery and innovation; and importantly, powering critical life and safety services. Microsoft datacenters support a wide spectrum of crucial services in Australia, from the lifesaving work of doctors and first responders to essential services like groceries and online banking.

Microsoft has operated in Australia for 39 years, and we continue to invest in the region and the ecosystem of partners and technology providers we rely on to meet the demand of delivering fast, reliable, and sustainable cloud services.

Microsoft is committed to the long-term health of the communities in which we operate and where our employees live and work.

October, 2022

Microsoft will enter into the next stage of construction (earthworks) for the Garden Drive datacentre in October 2022.  This phase involves installing cabling, which will involve works in public spaces and potential disruption to roads. Detailed communications will be provided to the impacted areas.

Construction Timeline

Datacenter construction will occur between October 2022, through late 2024.

Demolition of the existing buildings is now complete, and we are now commencing construction.

Together with our general contractor, BESIX Watpac, we will keep neighbours informed in advance of construction key events, including traffic mitigation plans, and will perform work within the hours detailed in our planning approval conditions.  Should there be any significant disruptions, we will notify the local community to reduce potential impacts.

Staying connected

We will keep the community up to date via our  Australia  page in our  Microsoft in Your Community blog.

For construction related questions or concerns, please contact Durham Shaw from BESIX Watpac via email at dshaw@watpac.com.au or by calling, (03) 9649 2200.

For PR-related questions contact Microsoft Media Relations .

For community related questions, contact us at MelDC@Microsoft.com .