Amazon Australia Announces Its First Robotics Fulfilment Centre
New fulfilment centre to create 1,500 jobs with the opportunity to work alongside advanced robotics
An additional 700 jobs will be created during construction and fit out
SYDNEY – 30 June 2020 – Amazon Australia today 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 create more than 1,500 jobs with industry leading pay and the opportunity to work alongside advance robotics. The construction and fit out of the state-of-the-art facility will create an additional 700 jobs.
The fulfilment centre will be equipped with the most advanced Amazon Robotics technology to better assist employees and serve customers, and contribute to the company’s efforts to deliver a smarter, faster and more consistent experience for its customers around Australia. 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 square metre. The fulfilment centre will have a total floor area of around 200,000 square metres across four levels – around the same land size as Taronga Zoo or 22 rugby fields – and house up to 11 million items.
Amazon Robotics will offer a diverse range of job opportunities in a high-tech, industry-leading workplace ranging from IT, HR and robotics professionals, to associates who will work collaboratively with robots, to pick, pack and ship smaller items such as books, beauty products, electronics and toys to customers. The majority of jobs will be permanent full time roles, with leading pay and comprehensive benefits such as subsidised healthcare and up to 20 weeks maternity pay. This upcoming building will be Amazon’s second FC in Western Sydney, increasing its capacity to fulfil customer orders as the business continues to expand in Australia.
“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. We look forward to creating more than 1,500 jobs, the majority of which are permanent full time jobs, with the opportunity to work alongside advanced robotics to deliver the ultimate in service for customers. This investment will also benefit the 10,000 plus small & medium sized businesses who utilise Fulfilment By Amazon to seamlessly service customers across the country,” said Craig Fuller, Director of Operations, Amazon Australia.
“We remain committed to enriching and giving back to the local communities and look forward to working with the Council and local schools and groups to contribute and support the community around our new facility in a meaningful way,” he said.
The Premier of New South Wales, Gladys Berejiklian said, “This new centre, once up and running, will create more than 1,500 jobs in addition to 700 construction jobs at a time when we need them most. Amazon’s decision to locate its first robotic centre in the Southern Hemisphere right here in Western Sydney is another great example about what the future holds.”
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said Amazon’s decision was a vote of confidence in the NSW economy.
“The project will contribute to local workforce development and provide skilled employment in areas like robotics, logistics and supply chain. It will also help build our local e-commerce sector, giving small and medium-sized businesses access to Amazon’s packing, shipping, customer service and returns capabilities, along with easier access to millions of customers across Australia and the world,” Mr Ayres said.
Construction has already begun on the Amazon Robotics FC which is well located for Western Sydney workers and for the transportation and delivery of customer orders at the intersection of Penrith, Blacktown and Parramatta. Amazon has worked with Goodman Group and its JV partner Brickworks to secure the site and Goodman is managing the construction of the facility which will require 13,500 tonnes of Australian steel, 3,000 tonnes more than the steel used in ANZ Stadium. The lease of the centre was facilitated by CBRE’s Industrial & Logistics business.
Goodman Group General Manager Jason Little said: “Goodman’s strategy is to provide our customers with high-quality properties in strategic locations and this new Amazon robotics fulfilment centre is a perfect example of this. The site is close to a large consumer population, transport links and the future Western Sydney International airport, making it accessible for faster deliveries both now and in the future.”
Amazon.com.au launched in Australia in December 2017 and now offers customers 125 million 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.
Fast facts about the building:
• The total floor area of the building is around 200,000 sqm – around the same land size as Taronga Zoo or 22 rugby fieds.
• The overall site is 150,000 sqm including 1,111 general carparks, 64 motorbike parks and 37 disabled carparks.
• 13,500 tonnes of Australian steel, 3,000 tonnes more steel than was used for ANZ Stadium.
• More than 200,000 nuts / bolts will be used for the erection of the structural steel frame.
General Data Points for Amazon Robotics
• Globally, we have more than 175 fulfillment centres and more than 40 sort centres
• We have opened more than 50 Amazon Robotic FCs around the world
• Amazon currently uses the help of more than 200,000 robotic drive units around the world
• More than 1,000 Robotic Tech Vests have been activated in FCs around the world to help keep our people safe
• Since introducing robots in 2012, approximately 300,000 full-time jobs have been added by Amazon globally, disproving the misconception that machines are replacing humans in the workforce.
Notes to editors
Media contact:
Jessica Makin, Operations PR Manager, Amazon Australia
E: jmakin@amazon.com M: +61 416 292 912
Renders of the new building, plus images and b-roll from existing Amazon Robotics FCs are available upon request. Contact amazon@decpr.com.au for details.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalised recommendations, Prime, Fulfilment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.