The Queensland Government Data Centre Strategy has been developed as a direct response to action 3.6 of the Smart Directions Statement for ICT within the Queensland Government (December 2004), “Consolidation of ICT data centres investigated” and mindful of a range of related SDS and Service Delivery and Performance Commission (SDPC) actions and recommendations.

The strategy analyses the current situation within the Queensland Government with respect to data centre use and operation, and makes recommendations for actions in this area. In particular it outlines a roadmap for the Queensland Government’s use of data centres which meets the needs of the Technology Consolidation program and related recommendations arising from the SDPC report of October 2006.

 Key findings and conclusions of the strategy are:

• The Queensland Government currently operates a number of data centres in south-east Queensland.
• In order to meet future demand, and to provide protection for systems in the face of a disaster or terrorist attack, it is recommended that Queensland Government should ensure an additional purpose built data centre is acquired in order to supplement and complement the Queensland Government's current shared whole-of-government data centre.
• Such a new data centre will prevent the proliferation of agency owned data centres and would provide a platform for the consolidation of many of the existing smaller facilities.
• This will result in improved environmental and security support for systems, leading to improved availability of systems to clients, and will be cheaper than a continued proliferation of agency data centres.
• Availability of appropriate data centre space is a key enabler of the Technology Consolidation Program recommended by the SDPC report, and was identified in the report as a means of delivering some savings to the Government.

The strategy, an internal to government document, was endorsed by the SI & ICT Council Executive in February 2007 and approved by the SI & ICT CEO Committee on 8 March 2007.

Subsequent to the approval of the strategy, the Queensland Government has entered into a long-term lease agreement for over 2000 square metres of shared data centre space at the Tier III Polaris data centre located in Springfield. This data centre is currently under construction.