Carolyn Cummins |Sydney Morning Herald
Relocating back office administration has taken on more urgency as businesses get weighed down by having to keep records, both hard copy and electronically.
The threat of fires, theft and terrorism has also heightened a company's awareness of having back-up copies. To accommodate the volume of data companies are now leasing in business parks and secure, high-tech warehouses. Norwest Business Park, amongst others, are seeing an increase in demand for such services.
Peter Gray, general manager Norwest Land, said that if groups developed these facilities on the outskirts of the CBD, land wouldn't be as plentiful or cost effective and the sites would be much riskier, in terms of security. He said unless businesses duplicated operations many could experience major revenue loss per hour of downtime or suffer a significant data loss and never reopen. Yet, he said, a large proportion of companies lack a comprehensive continuity plan.
According to industry analysts, disaster recovery and business continuity is a market segments that will continually expand.
The market segment is growing rapidly as organisations are increasingly aware of their obligations due to regulatory requirements and good corporate governance.
Mr Gray said Norwest Business Park, located in Sydney's north west, has been identified by several businesses as one location for their data and disaster recovery centres.
"Over $750 million has been invested by groups such as Enterprise Data Corporation, Cathay Pacific, Optus Singtel, NEMMCO, as well as the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Commonwealth Bank which have developed or are developing disaster and recovery centres within the estate," Mr Gray said.
"There are two distinct types of recovery centres the estate accommodates - one being the processing centre (a replica of an organisation's CBD data server) with the other being the data recovery facility - which include office accommodation.
"The 377-hectare corporate campus is jointly owned by FKP and the Malaysian-owned Mulpha Group."
Enterprise Data Corporation recently bought a 1.6 hectare parcel of land at Norwest to develop a business continuity and disaster recovery centre for clients. Jude Jacobs, a director of EDC, said the moment a disruption occurred, companies could continue operations seamlessly at EDC's purpose-built recovery facility at Norwest, which he said was outside the "CBD radius of risk".
Meanwhile, Mr Gray said that the proposed Balmoral Road Transit Centre announced during the week by Norwest Land will also help businesses relocating to the area.
The transit centre proposes to integrate a comprehensive urban centre with a bus and rail interchange, part of the North West Rail Link.
"We are acting on this opportunity now. We don't want to wait until after the Castle Hill to Rouse Hill section of the North West Rail Link is operational in 2017 to begin to plan for the community that may greet the train," Mr Gray said
"Recently, Baulkham Hills Shire Council backed the project, resolving to prepare and exhibit a draft Local Environmental Plan amendment. This step will put the plan before the community."
The Baulkham Hills Mayor, Tony Hay, said the north-west needed real impetus to begin creating new integrated communities and the transit centre "fitted the bill perfectly".
Mr Gray said that the transit centre would be a benchmark project and "a reference for all future development" in the north-west and Sydney's other green-field zones.
"One of the critical aspects of the project is the planned north-west rail line, which will pass through the 15 hectare development site," Mr Gray said.
"A railway station, the Burns Road Station, sits in the middle of the site. Under state government planning policies, the second leg of the north-west rail link - west of Castle Hill to Rouse Hill - is scheduled to be ready by 2017.
"It would inject massive confidence into all development projects along the proposed rail corridor if a key community like this was to proceed at this early stage", Mr Gray said.