A $200 million parcel sorting facility that can handle up to 40,000 parcels an hour has been proposed for south-east Queensland to meet the online shopping demand.
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Australia Post submitted a development application to Ipswich City Council proposing to build the 50,000 square-metre distribution and sorting centre on Robert Smith Street at Redbank.
The new facility would replace the existing facility at Underwood.
Australia Post Group chief operating officer Bob Black said the facility would include the latest in parcel automation equipment, which would triple the current parcel processing capacity.
“The new site will provide a safer environment for everyone and will be big enough to accommodate not just current parcel volumes – which are up 11 per cent nationally year-on-year – but also future growth,” Mr Black said.
The proposed purpose-built facility would have solar power installed, which would save about $400,000 in energy costs a year as well as 1200 tonnes of carbon emissions.
Australia Post said its latest Inside Australian Online Shopping report showed Queenslanders were the biggest buyers of fashion in the country, with online purchases rising 27.9 per cent in the past year.
Ipswich City Council Economic Development and Digital City committee chairman Paul Tully welcomed Australia Post’s plans.
“This is great news for local jobs with some 550 people needed to run the new centre,” he said.
The new facility would be at the Redbank Motorway Estate opposite the recently announced Rheinmetall defence development site.
