Coles Redbank distribution centre: New Ipswich facility will create 500 local jobs

The state-of-the-art facility will become the supermarket giant’s main distribution centre for Queensland supplying more than 200 stores. It will create hundreds of jobs.

Construction of a huge Coles distribution centre in Redbank is nearing completion.

A massive automated distribution centre being built in Ipswich for a supermarket giant which is set to create hundreds of jobs is nearing completion.

Construction on the 6.9 hectare warehouse is “well progressed” on the site of the former rail workshops site in Redbank according to a Coles spokeswoman.

In late 2018, the supermarket giant announced a partnership with Witron Australia to develop two new automated ambient distribution centres in Redbank and Western Sydney at a combined cost of about $950 million.

Coles could not confirm when the Redbank facility is expected to be completed but said construction is “well progressed”.

Initial expectations were that the Ipswich factory would be ready by 2022, with the new state of the art centre set to store and distribute twice the amount of groceries in half the space of its existing facilities.

The company could not confirm exactly when construction on the new state-of-the-art centre was expected to be finished or when people could start applying for jobs.

Developmental approval was given by Ipswich City Council in August 2019 with initial works starting the same month.

It will become Coles’ main distribution centre for Queensland with the council saying about 500 jobs will be created.

The facility will supply products to more than 200 supermarkets across the state.

Existing centres will be shut down as part of a modernisation push by the company.

The Ipswich facility will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week with about 95 per cent of on-site operations to be automated.

A look inside the giant warehouse. It has a total gross floor area of 6.9 hectares.

“We are making great progress on our journey to supply chain modernisation with the build of our two automated ambient (distribution centres),” a Coles spokeswoman said.

“The development of the property and physical building of our Redbank warehouse is well progressed.

“The facility stands 35 metres high – almost 2.5 times higher than a standard distribution centre – and we are in the process of drilling over 90,000 holes in the concrete slab to enable the installation of racking, conveyors, cranes, mezzanines and specialised equipment.”

The main building measures 412m long, 187m wide and has a gross floor area of 6.9 hectares.

The facility will run over two shifts.

The council said it was proposed during the application process that two 9.5 hour shifts between 5am to 2.30pm and 2.30pm to midnight will be staffed by 482 people and a five-hour maintenance shift between midnight and 5am will require 24 workers.

The facility will be leased by Coles for 20 years and the location of the site was chosen for its proximity to Brisbane and major highways.

It will be leased by Coles for 20 years.

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