Mainfreight commits to Moorebank Logistics Park

18 August 2022

Leading Asia-Pacific logistics specialist LOGOS and its Consortium partners have announced a commitment from major global supply chain services provider, Mainfreight, to develop and lease a 55,800sqm cross-dock warehouse facility at the Moorebank Logistics Park (MLP) for an initial 15-year term.

Mainfreight is a listed company that provides high quality supply chain services including air and seafreight to much of the world through a global network of 305 branches across 25 countries. The significant new facility is to be located at the South-East corner of the MLP estate and will comprise circa 55,800sqm of high quality and efficient warehouse and office space with integrated state-of-the-art technology.

The new Mainfreight facility will be designed to achieve market-leading Green Star certifications, including a minimum of a 5 Star Green Star Design and As Built rating. It will also incorporate sustainability initiatives including rainwater harvesting to drinkable standards, recycling and waste management systems, as well as the generation of an estimated 6 million kWh of electricity each year from a 4,530kWp solar system. Construction of the new Mainfreight facility has recently commenced with completion scheduled for Q2 2023.

LOGOS and its Consortium partners, AustralianSuper, AXA IM Alts, Ivanhoé Cambridge and TCorp (NSW Treasury Corporation) (the “Consortium”), completed the landmark acquisition of the MLP site for $1.67 billion in December 2021. The Mainfreight facility is the first new tenant commitment following acquisition and joins existing large occupiers at the estate including Woolworths, Qube Logistics, and Caesarstone.

LOGOS’ Head of Australia and New Zealand, Darren Searle, said: “In Mainfreight we’ve found a like-minded partner that shares our commitment to supply chain stability, site design and operational efficiencies, and leading sustainable practices and outcomes. This partnership will enable Mainfreight to leverage the unique value provided by MLP, including its connectivity to key freight corridors and import-export trade routes to support their global network of supply chain logistics solutions.

“This longer-term commitment from a global market-leader like Mainfreight reflects the ongoing and rising demand for high-quality warehouse space and logistics facilities, as supply chain operators look to diversify their bases in response to distribution challenges and structural trends accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have the unique opportunity at MLP to significantly reduce freight vehicle movements across Sydney and the broader interstate road network by reducing the number of trucks on the roads and increasing reliance on sea freight. Once MLP is fully developed, this will translate to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by up to 110,000 tonnes of CO2 per year – the equivalent of taking more than 25,000 cars off the roads every year.”

Mainfreight Property Manager, Martin Wierzbicki, said: “We’re pleased to be partnering with LOGOS and its partners to develop this purpose-built facility at Sydney’s pre-eminent logistics site. The connectivity, efficiency and intermodal capability provided by MLP is unmatched and we look forward to benefiting from the significant cost-advantages associated with improvements to supply chain predictability and rail-to-port connectivity.”

Rob Stendrup, Head of Moorebank added: “LOGOS is also speculatively developing a warehouse adjacent to the Mainfreight commitment, providing an additional 56,100sqm of industrial space to the market, and taking advantage of the strong supply-demand fundamentals. The warehouse is being built concurrently and available to lease from June 2023 as either split tenancies or for a single contiguous occupier.”

MLP is Australia’s largest logistics warehousing and infrastructure development project comprising of approximately 243 hectares of land with the capability to accommodate up to 850,000sqm of warehouse floor area. The site is strategically located in Sydney’s South-West industrial precinct at the intersection of several key freight corridors, including proximate access to the M5 motorway, M7 motorway, Hume Highway, and being directly adjacent to Australia’s largest rail intermodal facilities with direct uninterrupted linkage to Port Botany. The Moorebank IMEX intermodal provides occupiers unparalleled operational benefits via its automated port-to-site connectivity driving long-term cost advantages, improved supply chain predictability, and significant ESG benefits.