Leading Australian company says South Lismore plant has been unreliable for 6 years

The company says the plant has been "unreliable" since they first started operations in Lismore six years ago.

Bidvest Australia has lodged a development application for $1.2m worth of works at its South Lismore branch.

A leading Australian wholesale business will be forced to spend more than $1.2 million on its Lismore building to deal with "significant operational issues".

Bidvest Australia has lodged a development application with Lismore City Council for alterations and additions to its Krauss Avenue site at South Lismore.

The DA is on public exhibition until April 30.

If approved, Bidvest would construct a refrigeration plant room to service the existing warehouse and distribution facility.

"The proposal will also incorporate the replacement of the existing evaporation tower from the roof of the building," the report by town planners Newton Denny Chapelle states.

"The current plant room contains significant operational issues and as such presents prohibitive operational issues and associated costs.

"In this respect, the original plant has proven unreliable since the commencement of the business operations in Lismore in 2015 and ongoing investment of approximately $1.2 million."

 

Bidvest Australia’s South Lismore site.

 

The report explains the building's existing plant room was not able to be readapted for the new plant because it was not large enough.

"The existing plant has to keep running the business of storing food until a short changeover can occur during winter 2021," the report states.

"The new plant will be within a container sized pod called a Scanpac and be placed on raised pads with the new evaporator tower to be located on the former plant room commensurate to the existing tower."

Bidvest Australia, which trades as Bidfood, is Australia's leading distributor with divisions across foodservice, meat and liquor.

They have more than 60 branches around Australia.