The IC5 Bunker data centre was completed on time and on budget during the pandemic . It is part of a wider Aus $ 200 million investment by Macquarie Data Centres into its sovereign Canberra and Sydney Data Centre Campuses . The facility provides a fully sovereign ecosystem in terms of supply chain , Australian Government security-cleared staff , data access and storage .

Built specifically to support government data , IC5 is IRAP and DISP accredited and is capable of housing up to Zone 5 top secret data .

The unveiling comes as cybersecurity becomes a bigger issue in Australia following a series of cyberattacks which have damaged media , agriculture , energy and other sectors in recent months . Speaking at the unveiling event Minister Dutton highlighted the importance of the nation ’ s critical infrastructure in bolstering Australia ’ s digital and cybersecurity defence capabilities .

“ The need to secure data to protect Australian businesses and government has been a maturing conversation over the last few years . The threat is evolving . We know there is increasing investment in penetrating systems throughout the world . To meet that threat , the Systems

of National Significance Legislation and the Securing of Critical Infrastructure Legislation are essential ,” Minister Dutton said .

“ Macquarie is a globally recognised leader in its field with a particular focus on data storage and protection services . In our current threat environment , the demand for those services can only increase .”

IC5 Bunker leverages the latest physical , virtual security and compliance credentials to manage highly classified government cloud workloads . The facility is considered by the Government as critical infrastructure , given it has been designed to store important government information . It has also recently been certified Strategic under the Morrison Government ’ s Hosting Certification Framework , a measure of the trust Government places on the facility and the sovereign controls that are applicable to it .

Macquarie Telecom Group Chairman , Peter James ; Australian Defence Minister , Peter Dutton ; and Macquarie Data Centres Group Executive , David Hirst

Speaking at the unveiling , Macquarie Data Centres Group Executive David Hirst said the team was proud to welcome Minister for Defence , the Hon . Peter Dutton to the new facility and that the minister ’ s interest is a measure of the government ’ s commitment to protecting Australia ’ s sovereign data .

“ Our IC5 bunker is built to the highest physical and electronic security standards , leveraging the accelerating trend of hybrid IT and cybersecurity needs across government ,” he said .

“ The delivery of this facility and Intellicentre 3 ( IC3 ) in Sydney over the past year , when many supply chains were challenged by COVID , is a testament to the Macquarie Data Centres team and our partners . At a time when Australia needs strong economic growth , recent research has shown that data centres like these support the creation of more than 1,600 onshore jobs .” ◊

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