In the wake of a pandemic-related surge in online sales, industrial portfolio manager Goodman Group has teamed up with online retailer Amazon to build a multi-million-dollar warehouse in Brisbane.
The new Amazon fulfilment centre will be built at Goodman’s Port Industry Park in Lytton, Brisbane, on a combined site of more than 40,000sq m, with Goodman refurbishing an existing 16,300sq m building as well as acquiring an adjacent property from the Queensland state government to facilitate Amazon’s requirements.
The site is strategically located close to the Port of Brisbane, Brisbane airport and transport links.
Construction will start straight away, supporting more than 170 construction jobs during the development and fit-out phase, with the facility set to begin operations before Christmas.
The deal sees Goodman continue its global partnership with the retailer, having already delivered more than a million square metres of built-to-suit logistics space for the online retail giant across Europe.
Goodman also manages and maintains all spaces leased by the retailing juggernaut, which established its Australian presence in 2017 with a distribution centre in Melbourne, following up with a facility in Sydney in 2018 and a third warehouse in Perth in 2019.
In May, Goodman reaffirmed its financial year earnings guidance—an 11 per cent lift on the previous year—saying its concentration on urban logistics developments, delivering essential infrastructure and enabling distribution of critical supplies, had helped it weather the coronavirus storm better than most.
Craig Fuller, Amazon Australia’s director of operations said Brisbane was a key strategic location to meet customer demand in Queensland.
“We’re pleased that this significant investment will create job opportunities to support the local economy, benefit customers, and local small- to medium-size businesses who will be able to access Amazon’s logistics capabilities to reach customers across the country,” Fuller said.
“We’re proud to have played a unique role in supporting Australians during this unprecedented time, helping our customers to get the goods they need for their families without leaving their homes.
Goodman Australia general manager Jason Little said Goodman has a long-standing working relationship with both the Queensland Government and Amazon, and was committed to opening up economic opportunities for the state.
“The government is committed to supporting and encouraging increased private investment into the state [which] creates new jobs for Queenslanders.”
At a sod-turning ceremony on Thursday, Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Amazon’s commitment was a clear indicator of its confidence in the state’s economic recovery from the impacts of Covid-19.
Queensland development minister Kate Jones said new infrastructure was needed in Queensland to stimulate the economy and create jobs.
“This deal means millions of dollars of private sector infrastructure being built here in Queensland,” Jones said.
Originally published by Ingrid Woodrow in The Urban Developer HERE.