NEXTDC, a leading Australian data centre provider, has secured Development Approval from the Victorian Government for its M4 technology campus at the Fishermans Bend Innovation Precinct in Port Melbourne. This milestone marks a significant step forward in the project’s delivery and underscores the site’s transformation from a historic printing complex to a cutting-edge hub for digital infrastructure.
M4 represents a $2 billion investment at 127 Todd Road, the former Westgate Park Printing Complex. Once the home of Australia’s largest newspaper presses, the site is now poised to become a cornerstone of advanced manufacturing, aerospace, sovereign defence, and deep technology. The Victorian Government has designated Fishermans Bend a National Employment and Innovation Cluster, highlighting its strategic importance in driving economic growth and job creation.
Premier Jacinta Allan emphasised the project’s significance: “We’re open for business and we’re backing Victorians every step of the way. This major investment means more jobs and training for the next generation of tech workers.”
Minister Danny Pearson added, “This project will create high-skilled jobs for Victorians and lay the groundwork to support future developments in advanced manufacturing and defence.”
Minister Harriet Shing reinforced the precinct’s importance: “This major investment by NEXTDC is another clear signal to the world that Fishermans Bend is a key industry and market centre for growth and in-demand industries, which in turn is driving jobs and economic growth for Victoria.”
M4 will be a 162MW digital infrastructure campus, featuring a hyperscale AI Factory, a sovereign-grade mission-critical operations centre, and a Technology Centre of Excellence. The campus is designed with world-leading sustainability in mind, incorporating direct-to-chip, closed-loop liquid cooling that supports rack densities of 1,000kW with recycled water cooling.
This project is more than just a data centre; it is critical infrastructure for Australia’s AI future. Digital infrastructure is economic infrastructure, and AI factories represent a new class of industrial assets, purpose-built for sovereign capability, resilience, and long-term competitiveness.
M4 is expected to support thousands of high-value jobs across digital infrastructure operations, defence technology, advanced manufacturing, and research. It will serve as a convergence point for industry, government, and academia, fostering collaboration within a precinct designed for the future of space, science, defence, and technology.
NEXTDC, an ASX 100-listed technology company and Asia’s most innovative Data Centre-as-a-Service provider, is at the forefront of building the infrastructure platform for the digital economy. The company is recognised globally for its design, construction, and operation of Australia’s only network of Uptime Institute certified Tier IV facilities. NEXTDC’s data centres are engineered for exceptional efficiency and the industry’s lowest Total Cost of Operation, achieving NABERS 5-star energy efficiency. The company’s corporate operations are certified carbon neutral under the Australian Government’s Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard.
As a leader in sustainability and operational excellence, NEXTDC is driving the future of digital infrastructure, delivering critical power, security, and connectivity for global cloud computing providers, enterprises, and governments. The M4 technology campus is a testament to NEXTDC’s commitment to innovation and its role in shaping Australia’s digital future.
For more information, please contact the NEXTDC Media Team at [email protected].