NewsProject Update02 May 2026

INSITE DC secures development approval for Melbourne flagship hyperscale campus.

Initial 60 MW Phase 01 build will deliver Australia's first liquid-cooling-ready, AI-native hyperscale capacity - construction to commence Q4 2026, RFS targeted Q2 2028.

Dateline Melbourne, AU

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Project Update

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Lifted · Public

Melbourne, Australia · 14 May 2026 - For Immediate Release

INSITE DC, an Australian hyperscale data centre platform operator, today announced that it has secured development approval for its Melbourne flagship campus (MEL01) - clearing the path for construction of Australia’s first AI‑native, liquid‑cooling‑ready hyperscale facility. The initial 60 MW Phase 01 build is expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2026, with Ready‑for‑Service (RFS) targeted for the second quarter of 2028.

The MEL01 campus will anchor INSITE DC’s Australian platform - a programmed 100 MW+ portfolio spanning Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane - and represents the first of six planned developments across Australia and priority APAC corridors. The site is engineered from day one for accelerated compute density and liquid cooling, supporting rack densities up to 130 kW and a peak PUE target of 1.3.

Key facts

Site

MEL01 · Melbourne flagship

Western metropolitan growth corridor

Phase 01 capacity

60 MW IT load

Phased expansion to full build‑out

Rack density

Up to 130 kW per rack

AI / GPU workload engineered

Cooling

Liquid · D2C + RDHx ready

Closed‑loop design, low WUE

Peak PUE

1.3 target

Accelerated compute density

Construction start

Q4 2026

Civil & structural works

RFS target

Q2 2028

Phase 01 · 60 MW

Approval authority

City & State authorities

Development approval granted

Statement from INSITE DC

Development approval for MEL01 is the culmination of an eighteen‑month process spanning site identification, environmental impact assessment, grid connection studies and community consultation. The Phase 01 capacity has been engineered against the architectural requirements of global hyperscale and AI customers, with concurrent maintainability, redundant power and security designed to the highest enterprise standards.

“This approval is a foundational moment for the platform. We are building MEL01 for the workloads, partners and geographies that will define the next thirty years of digital infrastructure - and Australia has a structural advantage in delivering that capacity at scale.”

Anik Akhter, Co‑Founder

Anik Akhter

Co‑Founder

INSITE DC’s strategy is sequenced. The company is establishing an Australia‑first foundation in tier‑one metro markets, then extending the platform through deliberate, demand‑led expansion into priority APAC corridors where interconnection, power and policy align with hyperscale and AI buildout. MEL01 is the anchor of that sequence.

Background

Demand for AI‑ready hyperscale capacity across Australia and the wider Asia‑Pacific region is structurally outpacing supply. INSITE DC was established to address that undersupply with a disciplined, partnership‑led platform model - combining institutional capital with deep operational expertise across power, cooling, connectivity and security.

The Melbourne flagship is the first of six planned developments. A long‑duration renewable PPA secured with Tilt Renewables on 02 May 2026 will provide 200 MW of solar and firmed energy to power the Phase 01 and Phase 02 Australian buildout, supporting INSITE DC’s pathway toward 24/7 carbon‑free operations.

MEL01 Melbourne flagship campus - view 1
MEL01 Melbourne flagship campus - view 2
MEL01 Melbourne flagship campus - view 3

1/3

Indicative timeline

Q4 2025

Land acquired

Western metropolitan corridor

Q1 2026

Planning lodgement

City & State authorities

14 May 2026

Development approval (current)

This release

Q4 2026

Construction commences

Civil & structural works

Q2 2028

RFS · Ready‑for‑Service

Phase 01 · 60 MW

Subsequent phases will be sequenced against customer commitment, grid connection milestones and broader platform demand. INSITE DC will provide further updates as Phase 01 progresses through construction and commissioning.