SCF Containers’ data highlights exodus of Victorians heading to Queensland

The exodus of Victorians is showing up in the volume of removal vans hired in Victoria but ending up for collection in Brisbane.

SCF chief executive Justin Speedy says demand for containers to move people out of Melbourne is unprecedented.

The exodus of Victorians heading north since the pandemic began is starting to show up in volumes of furniture removal vans hired in Victoria but ending up for collection in Brisbane, with the demand for containers used to shift home contents accelerating this year.

SCF Containers, a leading supplier of shipping containers which operates a fleet of more than 12,300 specialised and purpose-built containers – including containers purpose-built for furniture removals – has reported that in the past few months it had increased by 25 per cent the number of furniture containers it manufactured and that almost all of those containers were going to removalist companies based in Melbourne.

Reflecting the movement of population from Victoria and into other states as many locals give up on Melbourne after going through the longest lockdowns in the world, latest data from SCF has revealed that in the past 10 months about 60 per cent of the specialty furniture containers supplied to removal companies ended up in Brisbane.

“We supply containers for a range of different industries and requirements – from the transport of retail inventory around the country to the storage and movement of bulk liquids and for workers crib rooms and office accommodation in the infrastructure sector – but the demand for containers to move people out of Melbourne is unprecedented,” SCF chief executive Justin Speedy said.

“Our forecast supply for the furniture removal containers in Melbourne is up by 25 per cent this season, and we see that trend continuing based on what our customers are telling us, which is ongoing high demand in that location.

The convoy of furniture removal trucks exiting Victoria has also shown up in recent population data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which reported Victoria’s population shrank by 0.6 per cent since the pandemic hit, with the state losing more than 43,000 citizens.

SCF said its own data showed the massive uplift in demand for furniture removal containers, with much of the sales going into Victoria.

“Going back pre-Covid, Melbourne was a steady or net receiver of those containers, it was pretty balanced, but it does support the idea that people are getting out,” Mr Speedy said.

“It would suggest they are leaving Melbourne to either go regional or are heading interstate.”

Mr Speedy said in the month ending December 8, SCF saw a 27 per cent jump in demand for containers from Melbourne removals companies, with almost of all that hired by furniture removal companies based in Melbourne. To cope, SCF has increased by 25 per cent the number of specialised furniture removal containers they will have in their fleet.

He said based on forward bookings, one prominent national furniture removalist company estimated that 30 per cent of its business next year will come from clients in Melbourne packing up and moving out.

Latest trading figures from SCF also suggested that rather than the usual seasonal demand for furniture vans, typically at the end of the year as people start new jobs, there is now a strong demand for containers all year.

“I think the interesting thing we have seen in the last 12 months is there has been a more sustained demand as people are moving, normally the demand for furniture removals peaks around that end of year … whereas in the Covid world there seems to be more of a sustained demand to be almost that when people can they are moving.”