Amazon Australia has announced plans to open its first Amazon Robotics fulfilment centre (FC) at Goodman’s Oakdale West Industrial Estate in Western Sydney.
Targeted for building completion in late 2021, the new FC will feature total floor area of around 200,000 sq m across four levels – around the size of 22 rugby fields – and house up to 11m items. It has been estimated that it will generate more than 1,500 jobs within the robotics industry as well as 700 other jobs. The FC is well located for Western Sydney workers and for the transportation and delivery of customer orders at the intersection of Penrith, Blacktown and Parramatta. Goodman is managing the construction of the facility. This is the third project the two companies are undertaking together in Australia.
The FC will be equipped with the most advanced Amazon Robotics technology to better assist employees and customers. According to Amazon, robots help speed order processing time by moving shelves to employees, thereby reducing the time and efforts taken to stow items for sale or pick them for new customer orders and creating a more pleasant work environment. They also save space, allowing for 50% more items to be stowed per sq m.
“The Amazon Robotics fulfilment centre will more than double our operational footprint in Australia, enhance efficiency and safety for our associates while ultimately providing customers with wider selection and faster delivery. This investment will also benefit the 10,000 plus small & medium sized businesses who utilise Fulfilment By Amazon to serve customers across the country,” said Craig Fuller, Director of Operations, Amazon Australia.
Amazon.com.au launched in Australia in December 2017 and now offers customers 125m products across 31 different categories including Amazon devices. Amazon Robotics will complement Amazon’s existing network of three Australian fulfilment centres launched in Dandenong South, Melbourne in December 2017, followed by Moorebank, Sydney in August 2018 and Perth’s Airport Precinct in November 2019. Earlier this month it announced its fourth fulfilment centre which will begin operating in Lytton, Brisbane before Christmas 2020.
Source: Goodman/Amazon
