Logistics

Sustained growth in the manufacturing and resource sectors has created excellent opportunities for logistics, transport and warehousing providers. Brisbane is the ideal logistics location offering unequalled infrastructure, strategic location, land availability, lower operating costs and significant labour advantages.

The existing infrastructure network in Brisbane is world class. Australia TradeCoast is Australia’s most integrated trade precinct, combining both the Port of Brisbane and Brisbane Airport. The Port of Brisbane is the only purpose-built, capital city, intermodal port complex in Australia, whilst the Brisbane International and Domestic Airports operate curfew-free, 24-hours a day. The next 20 years will see the development of the Gateway Arterial Expansion (duplication of a six-lane toll bridge), the North-South Bypass Tunnel, the Northern Link and Airport Link.

To the west and Ipswich, located at the junction of the Cunningham and Warrego Highways, the SEQ Regional Plan has determined this western corridor will be the fastest growing precinct, in the fastest growing region of Australia. Access to a highly skilled workforce, and quick access to markets south to Sydney and west to the grazing, agricultural and resources centres of central Queensland, Ipswich and surrounding areas are fast becoming the logistics hot spot for national carriers and distribution centres.

As the global trend to shorten supply chains continues, Brisbane offers fast access to national and international markets. Direct air and shipping links to all key Asian ports, means major Asian destinations can be reached by air in seven to nine hours. Continuing this efficiency, firms locating in Brisbane have unique access to land and property in transport locations near the Brisbane Airport, Port of Brisbane, and domestic trade routes south and north via the Pacific and Cunningham Highways, along with standard gauge freight rail from the Brisbane Ports to all capital cities in Australia.

Key Sectors

Distribution & warehouse

This sector has achieved substantial growth, primarily as a result of servicing the fast growing manufacturing sector. Many national and international manufacturing companies have chosen Brisbane for their national distribution centre. Spearheading this growth are Bulky goods retailers (furniture, electrical goods, garden supplies), including Crazy Clarks, with a 25,000 square metre distribution centre servicing retail outlets throughout Queensland and New South Wales.

Logistics providers (incl. third party)

Logistics providers are benefiting from the growing manufacturing sector in Brisbane. Further to this, a spiraling population in Queensland means a larger customer base, and a greater need for these products to be transported and stored.

Third party providers are in great demand as manufacturers concentrate on core capabilities and outsource services such as warehousing and cold storage. Companies successfully servicing the manufacturing sector include; Toll Transport, one of the largest transport companies operating in Queensland, and P&O Cold Logistics, a specialist storer of cold goods.

Transport companies (road & rail)

Road and rail transport companies are increasingly high demand. Operators can take advantage of favourable operating conditions, such as the city's excellent transport infrastructure and easy access to international and domestic markets. A recent success story is SCT Logistics, a provider of national, multi-modal transport and logistics solutions.

Why Brisbane

Infrastructure

The existing infrastructure network in Brisbane is world-class. Australia TradeCoast is Australia's most integrated trade precinct, combining both the Port of Brisbane and Airport. The Brisbane Port Authority provides high-class technology and logistics and acts as an interface between container terminals and road and rail, and the Brisbane International and Domestic Airports operate curfew free.

Moving forward, a combined expenditure for the next twenty years of $55 billion will see the development of the $2 billion Gateway Arterial Expansion (duplication of a 6-lane toll bridge) and the North-South Bypass Tunnel, estimated at costing $1.5 billion.

Location

As the global trend to shorten supply chains continues, Brisbane is in a position to offer fast access to national and international markets. Its direct air and shipping links to all major Asian Ports means major Asian destinations can be reached by air in seven to nine hours.

Land availability

Unlike other major Australian cities, firms locating in Brisbane have a unique opportunity to access land and property in key transport locations near the Brisbane Airport and Port of Brisbane and within 20km of the Brisbane CBD. The Australian TradeCoast precinct has 1300 hectares of industrial land available close to both the port and airport.

Operating costs and labour advantages

Establishment costs are lower in Brisbane, with high quality, cost competitive land available for development close to the Brisbane CBD. Operationally, back loading transport costs typically apply from Brisbane and can be 40-60% less than transport rates to Brisbane.
Labour costs and associated costs such as payroll tax are generally lower than in other Australian capital cities, and labour agreements are the least restrictive in the country. The city also boasts a strong labour market for experienced technicians and semi-skilled staff.

Pacific Brands

Some of Australia’s most iconic brands are manufactured by Pacific Brands including Bonds, Berlei, Dunlop, Sheridan, Slazenger and Hard Yakka. In a three-and-a-half year project, Brisbane Marketing’s Investment Attraction divisionworked very closely with Pacific Brands on showcasing Brisbane’s economic capabilities and ultimately assisted in the consolidation of three of its business units into Brisbane.

Following the company’s success interstate and in New Zealand, Pacific Brands was looking to develop a new distribution centre that would provide long-term infrastructure support to meet their growing logistical needs and labour to support their customer servicing systems. TradeCoast Central, located within Australia TradeCoast (ATC), was the ideal location as it provided Pacific Brands a co-ordinated infrastructure, multi-modal transport links and tenants from supporting industries.

Tim Hossack, Pacific Brands’ General Manager of Logistics, said the TradeCoast Central site was chosen after a nationwide research project.

"Once we selected Brisbane, we then looked at the best possible site. ATC stood out because it had great access to roads, the airport, the port and with well planned infrastructure development."

Pacific Brands recognised that a stronger Queensland presence would bolster the company’s ability to access the fastest growing capital city and state in Australia. The warehouse development commenced in July 2007 and the team from Pacific Brands is expected to move in by March 2008.