This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
AN Eastern Creek Coles distribution centre that closed with the opening of the supermarket giant’s new automated mega-warehouse in Kemps Creek is now the largest industrial offering for lease in Australia.
The 74,000 sqm facility at 10 Roberts Road in western Sydney is the size of 10 football fields under one roof and is available for the first time since being constructed.
Coles is closing this manual distribution centre, along with another in Smeaton Grange, as it opens its 187,000 sqm, $1 billion automated facility in Kemps Creek that will service 229 stores in NSW and the ACT when it reaches full capacity later this year. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attended its unveiling last week.
JLL’s Greg Pike, who is managing the subleasing, said the Roberts Road warehouse will be available from early 2025 and can accommodate tenants from 20,000 sqm to 74,735 sqm at “competitive rents” for the Sydney market.
“It’s the largest single warehouse vacancy available in Australia at the moment, and it provides major corporate and 3PL occupiers certainty in their ability to access big box space without delivery risk,” he said.
“After a prolonged period of record-low vacancy, we are finally starting to see major, high-quality big box logistics assets hit the market for lease, offering occupiers some relief from rapidly rising rents and squeezed supply chain footprints.”
Vacant space in Sydney industrial market rose 9% in the June quarter to reach circa 250,000 sqm, according to Knight Frank, but was still 46% below the historical average.
“These major DCs will allow tenants of scale to skip the development queue and secure big box footprints with no delivery risk in Australia’s most competitive industrial marketplace,” Pike said.
The facility offers full drive around access, with combination of recessed docks and on-grade doors, double-sided loading opportunities with drive-through super canopy, corporate office space with full staff amenities and over 550 car spaces available on-site.
Pike said the warehouse has exposure to Old Wallgrove Road and Lenore Drive and is located minutes from the M7 and M4 Motorways.
