Inside Amazon's newest high-tech Melbourne warehouse
As quickly as popping yet another last-minute birthday gift into your Amazon shopping cart, it seems the company behind the magic unicorn deliveries is expanding.
Amazon Australia – on a mission to make deliveries even faster for online shoppers in Melbourne and across the nation – has just flung open the doors at its third fulfilment centre in Victoria in a busy month for the company.
Local workers at the purpose-built Cranbourne West facility, 40 kilometres south-west of Melbourne’s CBD, will pick, pack and ship orders from the massive site the size of two-and-a-half football fields, a commuting win for the City of Casey region where more than 65 per cent of residents travel to work by car.
This expansion also allows local businesses to expand their reach, not just in Victoria but across the entire country.
It is the second purpose-built facility opened by the company in the state this month.
A delivery centre in Ravenhall was also recently opened, 20 kilometres west of the city, in a suburb best known for its prison, the Ravenhall Correctional Centre.
Amazon was no stranger to Ravenhall, having opened the company’s second fulfilment facility there in 2021.
The company also funded a wind farm in an effort to support its growth while reducing climate change in Hawkesdale, 30 kilometres north-west of Warrnambool, which became operational in January. And at the global tech giant’s brand-new Melbourne office at 555 Collins Street, bringing a dog to work is one of the office perks.
The two latest high-tech sites in Cranbourne West and Ravenhall – collectively worth more than $200 million – will create 700 jobs, and support the curation and delivery of an extensive range of products across multiple categories by tapping into Amazon’s global logistics network and advanced technology.
Amazon’s growth has skyrocketed since its first Australian fulfilment centre – a venue designed to fill customer orders – burst open in Dandenong South in 2017, changing the face of online retailing, and providing a lifeline through the pandemic.
Amazon Australia now has three operating fulfilment centres in Victoria and three delivery stations, with a new robotics fulfilment centre under construction in Craigieburn.
Since 2011, the company has invested more than $15 billion in Australia, employs more than 7000 people, and revenues have doubled thanks to the online boom.
The two-level Cranbourne West storage site is located in Greenlink Estate, spanning 52,000 square metres – or 2.5 AFL football fields. It’s home to 4 million products, from electronics to books and everything in between.
Greenlink Estate boasts 800 metres of direct frontage to Western Port Highway and direct access to arterial roads. It also manages to incorporate wellness and environmental features for all site users, setting a new standard in industrial real estate.
The much smaller delivery station at Ravenhall, covering 8800 square metres, serves as a “delivery point for Amazon packages”. Here, local entrepreneurs will sign up as delivery partners in programs such as Amazon Delivery Service Partner or Amazon Flex. It complements the 37,000-square-metre fulfilment centre next door.
Amazon creates 700 new jobs
More than 500 local jobs – mostly permanent full-time roles – will be created at Cranbourne alone, with Ravenhall responsible for another 200.
It’s good news for local workers too, with Amazon announcing it is keen to look after its workers with up to 20 weeks of paid parental leave, subsidised private healthcare, and decent pay.
Locals looking for roles in Cranbourne West will find roles ranging from entry-level positions with on-the-job training, including training and certification to operate forklifts, to skilled roles in operations, human resources, engineering and workplace health and safety.
Janet Menzies, country manager at Amazon Australia, says the company was “thrilled” to continue investing in the state and “proud” to support small- and medium-sized Australian businesses.
“We’re excited to help these businesses grow and better serve their customers through our enhanced logistics network,” says Menzies.
“These facilities will significantly expand the range of products available for swift local delivery.
“We’re proud to be creating hundreds of high-quality local job opportunities, offering on-the-job training and exciting career opportunities, in a safe and positive environment.”
What’s it like to be an Amazon employee?
Cranbourne West local Violet Chang, an employee at the Cranbourne West centre, says she’s enjoying a short commute to work, as well as the flexible shifts.
“It’s great not having to commute a long way to get to work,” she says.
“It’s great that this site has created hundreds of jobs and brought new energy to the area. I also enjoy working the flexible shifts of working four days on, and three days off, as it’s given me more time to spend with my family.”
How does Amazon’s investment affect the Victorian economy?
Victoria’s Minister for Finance, Danny Pearson, welcomes the expansion.
“Amazon’s investment is a vote of confidence in our workforce and small business, and it sends a clear message that Victoria’s economy is going from strength to strength,” he says.
Amazon’s growth is a win in the City of Casey too, with Mayor Stefan Koomen saying the investment was a “powerful endorsement” of the municipality’s strategic advantages.
The Amazon expansion bolsters Casey as a “premier destination for investment and innovation”, Koomen adds.
Amazon-backed wind farm in Hawkesdale, Victoria
The Hawkesdale wind farm, which became operational in January, is expected to create enough carbon-free energy annually to power the equivalent of 67,000 homes each year.
Enabled by Amazon’s investment, the 97-megawatt renewable energy project was created to help curb emissions as part of its Climate Pledge.
It comes as Amazon has been recognised as the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy globally for the fifth consecutive year by Bloomberg NEF.
