Amazon has revealed plans to open its first Amazon robotics fulfilment centre at Goodman’s Oakdale West industrial estate in Western Sydney.
|
Why we love this project:
|
Amazon has more than 50 robotic fulfilment centres around the world – and now Australia is getting its first.
The fulfilment centre will have a total floor area of around 200,000 square metres across four levels – around the same land size as 22 rugby fields – and house up to 11 million items.
The overall site is 150,000 sqm including 1,111 general carparks, 64 motorbike parks and 37 disabled carparks.
Craig Fuller, Amazon Australia’s director of operations, says the new facility will “more than double our operational footprint in Australia”.
The new centre, expected to be complete by late 2021, will be equipped with the most advanced Amazon robotics technology, accelerating processing times and allowing for 50 per cent more items to be stowed per square metre.
The project will create 700 jobs during construction and 1,500-plus ongoing jobs in IT, HR and robotics.
Amazon has worked with Goodman Group and its JV partner Brickworks to secure the site.
Goodman is managing the construction of the facility which will require 13,500 tonnes of Australian steel – 3,000 tonnes more than the steel used in ANZ Stadium.
Goodman Group general manager Jason Little says the project is a “perfect example” of Goodman Group’s strategy to “provide our customers with high-quality properties in strategic locations”.
“The site is close to a large consumer population, transport links and the future Western Sydney International airport, making it accessible for faster deliveries both now and in the future,” Little adds.
Amazon.com.au launched in Australia in December 2017 and now offers 125 million products across 31 different categories. Around 10,000 small and medium sized businesses use Amazon’s fulfilment services for packing, shipping, customer service and returns.
The new facility will complement Amazon’s existing network in Melbourne’s Dandenong South, Sydney’s Moorebank and Perth’s airport precinct. A fourth fulfilment centre will begin operating in Lytton, Brisbane, before Christmas.
Amazon currently uses 200,000-plus robotic drive units globally. According to Amazon, around 300,000 full-time jobs have been added to its workforce since it introduced robots in 2012.
NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian says Amazon’s decision to locate the robotic centre in Western Sydney is “another great example about what the future holds”.