Logistics News

Australia Post lauds Redbank mega-facility progress

October 2019 launch date for 50,000 sq m parcel and delivery centre

 

Australia Post has set a launch date of October 2019 for its new 50,000 square metre site in Redbank, Queensland, which it says will be the largest parcel facility and delivery centre in the southern hemisphere.

The warehouse will boast technology to increase parcel processing capabilities, Australia Post says, including robotic arms, automated guided vehicles and an automated parcel picker – the first of its kind in Australia.

New automated parcel processing machines, already being used in Sydney and Melbourne, will also enable the facility to process up to 700,000 parcels per day at its peak – more than 35,000 parcels an hour.

Around 500 employees are expected to be deployed there, servicing the growing demands of online shopping in Queensland.

“We know Australia’s love affair with online shopping isn’t slowing down. Last year Australians spent $27.5 billion nationally, an increase of 24 per cent on 2017,” Australia Post Group COO Bob Black says.

“Queensland’s love affair with online shopping also continues, and in 2018 it grew by 21 per cent from the previous year – ahead of the national average.

“Making up 19 per cent of all online shopping across the nation, Queensland also had three of the top 10 postcodes – Toowoomba, Mackay and Bundaberg – each with strong growth all above 20 per cent.

“Our new Redbank site will be operational in time for our busy pre-Christmas period.

“Last year we experienced our biggest peak period ever, delivering over 40 million parcels nationally in December alone, including a record three million parcels in a single day, and we know this year will be even bigger.”


Read about Australia Post’s flagged developments in 2019, here


Black also emphasises the importance of investing in new technology to help deliver increasing volumes, and facilitate safer workplaces.

“Automation and our new parcel processing technology are important measures to reduce manual handling and create safer jobs for our people.

“As a business we know how important it is to continue to invest in our workforce, especially where there are opportunities for us to retrain our people to transition from the declining letters business to our growing parcels business.”

The new facility is part of Australia Post’s three-year, $900 million investment in parcel processing nationally.

 

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