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Qube is considering selling part or all of its stake in NSW’s new interstate freight hub at Moorebank in southwest Sydney because it is never going to be a “high earner” for the logistics group
Mr Digney revealed the potential sale plans after strikes at stevedore DP World – which competes with Qube’s part-owned stevedore Patrick – helped boost the group’s annual net profit by 32 per cent to $221.9 million
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Several businesses have been badly damaged by a fire at an industrial complex in Sydney’s south-west
with 100 firefighters required to bring the blaze under control
Emergency services were called to the industrial complex on Kaleski Street
with large plumes of smoke visible and road closures put in place
The industrial complex houses several businesses including Popcorn Time and a crash repairer
The RCCG Beautiful Gate Church is also located nearby
Five or six businesses in the complex have been severely damaged
Twenty-six firetrucks and 100 firefighters were required to control the fire and remain on-scene
Residents in nearby areas have been advised to stay indoors and motorists to avoid the area
“It was probably the third fire engine that we came out to,” Jessica Hiko said
Five minutes after that there were flames,” Casey Hikos said
a loud bang came from the direction of the fire and the flames appeared to have reached the back of the adjacent windows and doors business
A woman who worked at Prestige Plus but declined to give her name said staff were evacuated at about 2pm
A member of the RCCG Beautiful Gate Church was asleep inside the church when the fire started but was not injured
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Several businesses have been badly damaged by a fire at an industrial complex in Sydney\\u2019s south-west
\\u201CIt was probably the third fire engine that we came out to,\\u201D Jessica Hiko said
\\u201CFifteen minutes ago there were no flames
Five minutes after that there were flames,\\u201D Casey Hikos said
Get alerts on significant breaking news as happens
Janus Electric has completed construction of its first solar powered Charge and Change Station at the Moorebank Intermodal Precinct in Sydney’s south-west
The facility gives electric trucks the ability to swap the two-metre by 1.2-metre batteries for fully charged batteries prior to heading out on their run in less time than it would take for a traditional truck to refuel
The entire process can be completed in just four minutes
and with a truck and single trailer able to generally travel between 300-400 kilometres on a single charge
strategically placed Charge and Change Stations could be key to keeping the region’s sustainable fleet on the move
It is the first facility of its kind to be built at an intermodal precinct
with eight other Charge and Change stations located across Australia
Head of ESG for the precinct’s developer – ESR Australia and New Zealand – Simon Carter says the addition of the station in the intermodal precinct could be a game-changer for Australia’s road freight decarbonisation
“We are thrilled to support the launch of the Janus Electric Charge and Change Station at Moorebank Intermodal Precinct
a transformative step for Australia’s heavy vehicle transport sector,” Carter says
“By facilitating battery swapping technology for electric trucks
we’re serving net zero ambitions and setting a new standard in sustainable freight transport.”
New modelling suggests freight transport and logistics contributed an estimated $74.3 billion to NSW in 2022-23
with that figure set to soar to over $130 billion by 2060-61
The sector currently provides over 330,000 full-time jobs in the state
with the number set to almost double to 565,000 by 2060-61
With the heavy vehicle sector looking to decarbonise in the face of rapidly increasing demand
NSW Minister for Transport Jo Haylen says the advent of technology like Charge and Change Stations could be key in reaching the state’s Towards Net Zero Emissions Freight Policy targets
“Freight demand is projected to rise by 34 per cent across NSW from 2021 to 2061
which is why we’re working on a plan with the freight industry to get us to net zero,” Haylen says
“Many freight operators are natural innovators and are already investing in low-emission technology
“The NSW government’s Zero Emissions Freight Policy means the government is supporting industry and helping them invest in new and exciting technologies across the state and at key freight centres like Moorebank.”
Australasian Transport News (ATN) and its digital platform Fully Loaded have been the leading source of intelligence for owners and managers of medium to large transport businesses
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Reporting by Stella Qiu; Editing by Stephen Coates
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Several businesses have been badly damaged by a fire at an industrial complex in Sydney\\u2019s south-west, with 100 firefighters required to bring the blaze under control.
Emergency services were called to the industrial complex on Kaleski Street, Moorebank, about 2.10pm on Friday.
Flames engulfed the building, with large plumes of smoke visible and road closures put in place. The industrial complex houses several businesses including Popcorn Time and a crash repairer. The RCCG Beautiful Gate Church is also located nearby.
Five or six businesses in the complex have been severely damaged, Fire and Rescue NSW said.
Twenty-six firetrucks and 100 firefighters were required to control the fire and remain on-scene. Residents in nearby areas have been advised to stay indoors and motorists to avoid the area.
Jessica Hiko and her son Casey, who live on nearby Swain Street, came outside after hearing sirens.
\\u201CIt was probably the third fire engine that we came out to,\\u201D Jessica Hiko said. \\u201CIt grew real fast. It\\u2019s scary.\\u201D
\\u201CFifteen minutes ago there were no flames. Five minutes after that there were flames,\\u201D Casey Hikos said.
At 2.50pm, a loud bang came from the direction of the fire and the flames appeared to have reached the back of the adjacent windows and doors business, Prestige Plus.
A woman who worked at Prestige Plus but declined to give her name said staff were evacuated at about 2pm.
A member of the RCCG Beautiful Gate Church was asleep inside the church when the fire started but was not injured.
Get alerts on significant breaking news as happens. .
Fire and Rescue NSW acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders
In another milestone for Australia’s largest intermodal precinct at Moorebank in Western Sydney
the new interstate rail terminal’s container handling facilities are now under construction and on track for receiving its first interstate freight train in early 2024
The terminal is the final major infrastructure component of the Moorebank Intermodal Precinct and will be the first independent metropolitan interstate rail terminal constructed in over 30 years
the terminal will drive greater freight efficiencies between all mainland capital cities
the terminal will process 1800m long interstate trains
each moving approximately 1500 tonnes of freight and consumer goods
The terminal will ultimately be able to process about 3000 trains per year and its efficiency benefits will result in significantly lower supply chain costs and lower transport emissions
The additional supply chain capacity will support the challenge of meeting the forecast 35 per cent increase in freight volumes across Australia and help drive modal shift to rail
reducing pressure on our roads and highways
At over 240 hectares (equivalent in size to the Sydney CBD)
the precinct at completion will include an IMEX Terminal developed by Qube (operational since 2019)
over 850,000 square metres of co-located warehousing being developed by LOGOS Property and the Interstate Terminal (to be jointly operated by National Intermodal
linking the north-south and east-west freight routes
National Intermodal chief executive James Baulderstone said Moorebank would deliver long-term value for the precinct and boost market confidence that higher volumes of rail freight can move efficiently
safely and sustainably across state borders
together with its direct link to Port Botany and mainland capital cities
will not only increase capacity and drive freight efficiencies but will remove significant costs from the supply chain
“The rail freight sector has been constrained by limited infrastructure investment and market concentration
The genuinely open access facilities at Moorebank will help to ensure that efficiency savings resulting from these modern facilities are passed onto customers and end consumers helping to relieve recent significant increases in supply chain costs.”
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The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are pleased to announce the elevation of local junior, Kurtis Morrin to the Club's top 30 squad.
The mobile forward, who has built a reputation as an impact player off the bench, was notified of his elevation yesterday alongside teammates during Captain's Run.
The Club also took up an option in his contract that sees him stay on in the blue and white through 2025.
"Kurtis is exactly the type of person we want in our Club," said Bulldogs Head Coach Cameron Ciraldo.
He's a guy our players love playing with because of his whole-hearted approach to the game and his commitment to our Bulldogs family.
"He is a local junior who's come through our system and has earned this opportunity through hard work and determination."
Morrin played his formative years at Moorebank Rams before graduating through the Club's pathway programs.
In 2021, Morrin was awarded the Jersey Flegg Cup Player of the Year and by 2022, he had become a regular feature of the Bulldogs NSW Cup side. He played 20 games for Cup, 11 from the interchange, seven at lock and two at prop, before earning his NRL debut. He was called up in Round 15 of the 2022 Premiership season to face the Wests Tigers.
His debut proved to be a memorable one, stepping onto the park at the 51-minute mark and a short time later scoring his maiden try after Josh Addo-Carr scooped up a loose ball from a left-edge raid and skipped back infield to find a charging Morrin.
He made two more first-grade appearances in 2022 (Rounds 16 and 18) before bringing that experience back to the NSW Cup team, who went on to win six from eight matches in a late-season charge to the Grand Final against the Penrith Panthers.
Morrin was called on several times during the 2023 season by Head Coach Cameron Ciraldo, credited for his unwavering effort and work ethic.
The 24-year-old completed just his second NRL pre-season this year and has made 7 NRL appearances for the blue and white, bringing great line speed and energy off the bench with each and every match.
He is a great defensive player who Ciraldo says epitomises the type of player the Bulldogs want to build around:
"He's a great person who loves coming into training and working hard to get better every day.
"We're really pleased to have Kurtis and his family on this journey with us."
Morrin's extension news comes as the Bulldogs prepare to take on the Raiders in Round 11 of the NRL Telstra Premiership.
Morrin will inject some serious energy from the bench, named in the 17 set to kick-off at 6:00 PM at Suncorp Stadium this evening.
NRL Match Highlights: Bulldogs vs Titans - Round 9, 2025
Kiraz Hat-trick Headlines Bulldogs' Magic Round Win
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Supermarket giant Woolworths has started construction on the first of two state-of-the-art distribution centres in Sydney’s south-west to strengthen its national supply chain to more than 1000 of its stores across the country.
Set to open in 2024, the Moorebank National Distribution Centre will be run under Woolworths’ supply chain arm, Primary Connect, and will be co-located with the Moorebank Regional Distribution Centre, which will start construction later and open in 2025.
Render of the new Woolworths National Distribution Centre in the Moorebank Logistics Park in Western Sydney.
Once completed the 75,000 square metre area, across both sites, will take up the space of five SCG ovals. The combined sites will be highly automated to enable Woolworths to keep up with customer demand for an expanded range of products in the stores.
Woolworths will invest about $700 million to $780 million in the technology and fitout of both distribution centres in partnership with Dematic and Vanderlande. Qube will invest about $440 million to build the distribution centres, with Woolworths signing an initial 20-year lease.
Even though online shopping is growing rapidly, consumers are returning to the physical stores for smaller, more frequent trips.
Woolworths chief executive Brad Banducci said to keep pace with growing demand and ever-evolving customer expectations, there is a need to continue to invest in new technology and capacity to power the next generation supply chain.
“We have ambitions to offer a more tailored range of products in our stores. This has traditionally been constrained by what we can hold in our distribution centres,” he said.
The rise in demand for distribution centres has also led to sharp gains in demand for industrial property.
It is estimated that once both centres are up and running, Woolworths will be able to carry up to 8000 additional products.
Woolworths Group has a $2.3 billion investment program planned across NSW over the next five years, which will support a further 7500 ongoing jobs and thousands more during construction.
The start of construction follows approval of both developments by the NSW Department of Planning in late 2020 and the recent appointment of Richard Crookes Constructions as the lead builder on the Moorebank National Distribution Centre.
The rise in demand for distribution centres has also led to sharp gains in demand for industrial property, with JLL Research figures showing gross take-up of industrial space (a measure of demand) exceeded 1.1 million sq m for the first time since the data was first tracked nationally in 1997.
JLL’s senior director, research, Annabel McFarlane said, the activity recorded in the first quarter of the year comes off the back of a record-breaking result in 2020, which saw national gross take-up levels reach a new annual benchmark of 2.86 million sq m over the course of the year.
“Face and effective rents are increasing across many markets. Strong annual net face rental growth was recorded for Sydney’s north at 4.4 per cent and Sydney’s outer central west at 3.5 per cent,” she said.
“The ongoing wave of occupier expansion across the country is placing pressure on asset availability, exacerbated by declining levels of speculative stock completions in the early stages of the year.”
Supermarket giant Woolworths has started construction on the first of two state-of-the-art distribution centres in Sydney\\u2019s south-west to strengthen its national supply chain to more than 1000 of its stores across the country.
Set to open in 2024, the Moorebank National Distribution Centre will be run under Woolworths\\u2019 supply chain arm, Primary Connect, and will be co-located with the Moorebank Regional Distribution Centre, which will start construction later and open in 2025.
\\u201CWe have ambitions to offer a more tailored range of products in our stores. This has traditionally been constrained by what we can hold in our distribution centres,\\u201D he said.
JLL\\u2019s senior director, research, Annabel McFarlane said, the activity recorded in the first quarter of the year comes off the back of a record-breaking result in 2020, which saw national gross take-up levels reach a new annual benchmark of 2.86 million sq m over the course of the year.
\\u201CFace and effective rents are increasing across many markets. Strong annual net face rental growth was recorded for Sydney\\u2019s north at 4.4 per cent and Sydney\\u2019s outer central west at 3.5 per cent,\\u201D she said.
\\u201CThe ongoing wave of occupier expansion across the country is placing pressure on asset availability, exacerbated by declining levels of speculative stock completions in the early stages of the year.\\u201D
CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced
AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
Residents opposed to the development of one of Australia’s largest freight hubs say the site requires long-term monitoring and possible intervention to prevent toxic chemicals leaching into the nearby Georges River
The Moorebank Logistics Park
capable of handling a million standard shipping containers a year
sits on former Defence land on Sydney’s south-west where the military used a range of chemicals
The Moorebank Intermodal project is being developed about 27 kilometres from Sydney’s CDB (seen in the distance)
The former Defence land has PFAS and other toxic materials requiring long-term management.Credit: Nick Moir
These include per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS
a diverse group of persistent compounds that were used in firefighting
PFAS use was formally banned in NSW earlier this month due to concerns about how they can accumulate in blood and organs
The federal government has paid hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation to exposed communities near military bases in the Northern Territory
The Moorebank site’s long-term environmental plan states that groundwater and surface monitoring of PFAS levels will be undertaken during and after construction works “to assess effects of redevelopment on PFAS mass flux to the Georges River” to inform appropriate mitigation measures
While risks to human health at the worksite were deemed “low and acceptable”
the bio-accumulation and the effects onhigher order ecological consumers “were unable to be excluded”
It also detailed “a potential health risk to children who consume more than two serves of fish per month sourced from the Georges River”
secretary of the Georges River Environmental Alliance
said developers were relying on 1.6 million cubic metres of soil brought in to bury the PFAS-contaminated ground with two metres of cover
Ms Cullis said the groundwater flows mean “the sinister stuff” would continue to migrate towards and into the Georges River without intervention by the developers
“Nobody’s considered people use this area for primary recreation,” Ms Cullis said as she stood by a riverside bike track near the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre
“What happens when the PFAS plume is in the water?”
Sharyn Cullis and John Anderson have been fighting to raise attention to what they see are unacceptable risks of pollution from PFAS chemicals leaking from the former Defence site at Moorebank.Credit: Nick Moir
A spokesman for the Moorebank Intermodal Company
the federal government-owned entity set up to oversee the hub’s development
did not say how much PFAS was contained on-site but stressed that “no part of the Moorebank Precinct is a declared Contaminate Site under relevant state legislation”
“The site has been extensively assessed over the last six years
confirming its suitability for commercial and industrial uses,” he said
adding there were currently 11 active groundwater monitoring wells in the biodiversity area adjacent to the Georges River
The spokesman also said it was up to the state government to identify PFAS-related fishing risks, pointing to a website that lists them
They list “precautionary dietary advice” for people who regularly catch and eat dusky flathead
A visit by the Sun-Herald found confusing public signage at the popular Chipping North lake region
with signs outlining bag limits located beside older signs warning against eating fish or shellfish
PFAS did not appear to be named as a threat
a former sand mine turned lake on the Georges River
The right sign warns ‘Do not eat fish or shellfish’ and the left sign lists bag limits for a range of fish.Credit: Nick Moir
Liverpool Council declined to comment on the Moorebank project
citing the fact it was a state significant development
A spokeswoman for the Department of Planning
Industry and Environment said the developer was required to implement plans for remediation
contamination and long-term environmental management
An auditor accredited by the Environment Protection Authority would oversee the remediation
But Ms Cullis said “the whole system depends on trusting the applicant’s information...The auditor does not do any spot testing of any data
along with barefoot skiing and other recreational activities
on the Georges River as it flows from Moorebank to Chipping Norton and beyond.Credit: Nick Moir
a nearby resident who has a monitoring well within metres of his home
said he had not seen local warnings about PFAS and “the EPA has never attended any of the meetings” he has been at
“It comes down to a lack of regard for the environment by both the federal and state governments,” Mr Anderson said
The Moorebank spokesman said the soil brought to cap the PFAS were “suitable for uses such as back-yard vegetable growing and on playing fields”
Critics say the developer should state whether they contain any contamination
An EPA spokeswoman said the development consent limits the imported fill material to be “virgin excavated natural material” or other material approved by the EPA in writing
The Planning Department has reponsibility for compliance
Residents opposed to the development of one of Australia\\u2019s largest freight hubs say the site requires long-term monitoring and possible intervention to prevent toxic chemicals leaching into the nearby Georges River
sits on former Defence land on Sydney\\u2019s south-west where the military used a range of chemicals
The Moorebank states that groundwater and surface monitoring of PFAS levels will be undertaken during and after construction works \\u201Cto assess effects of redevelopment on PFAS mass flux to the Georges River\\u201D to inform appropriate mitigation measures
While risks to human health at the worksite were deemed \\u201Clow and acceptable\\u201D
the bio-accumulation and the effects onhigher order ecological consumers \\u201Cwere unable to be excluded\\u201D
It also detailed \\u201Ca potential health risk to children who consume more than two serves of fish per month sourced from the Georges River\\u201D
Ms Cullis said the groundwater flows mean \\u201Cthe sinister stuff\\u201D would continue to migrate towards and into the Georges River without intervention by the developers
Australia\\u2019s largest logistics operator
\\u201CNobody\\u2019s considered people use this area for primary recreation,\\u201D Ms Cullis said as she stood by a riverside bike track near the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre
\\u201CWhat happens when the PFAS plume is in the water?\\u201D
the federal government-owned entity set up to oversee the hub\\u2019s development
did not say how much PFAS was contained on-site but stressed that \\u201Cno part of the Moorebank Precinct is a declared Contaminate Site under relevant state legislation\\u201D
\\u201CThe site has been extensively assessed over the last six years
confirming its suitability for commercial and industrial uses,\\u201D he said
The spokesman also said it was up to the state government to identify PFAS-related fishing risks
They list \\u201Cprecautionary dietary advice\\u201D for people who regularly catch and eat dusky flathead
But Ms Cullis said \\u201Cthe whole system depends on trusting the applicant\\u2019s information...The auditor does not do any spot testing of any data
said he had not seen local warnings about PFAS and \\u201Cthe EPA has never attended any of the meetings\\u201D he has been at
\\u201CIt comes down to a lack of regard for the environment by both the federal and state governments,\\u201D Mr Anderson said
The Moorebank spokesman said the soil brought to cap the PFAS were \\u201Csuitable for uses such as back-yard vegetable growing and on playing fields\\u201D
An EPA spokeswoman said the development consent limits the imported fill material to be \\u201Cvirgin excavated natural material\\u201D or other material approved by the EPA in writing
Primary Connect has announced an update on the construction of its Moorebank National Distribution Centre (MoNDC)
The project was first announced in June 2020
where Qube said it would partner with Woolworths Group on two state-of-the-art facilities budgeted at $1.2 billion
Primary Connect today revealed that the design and construction of MoNDC is now complete
“While there still is a bit of work to be done before we start operations at MoNDC next year
this is a really exciting milestone,” a Primary Connect spokesperson said
MoNDC will reportedly service more than 1,000 Woolworths Supermarkets across Australia and deliver significant benefits to its stores and customers
these sites represent Woolworths Group’s largest investment and will transform the way it serves stores with cutting-edge automation
“A huge thank you to all of our team and partners for this amazing achievement,” the spokesperson said
“We look forward to sharing more updates soon.”
In other news, work to take thousands of heavy vehicles off local roads and slash congestion in Melbourne’s west is continuing at a rapid pace, with the West Gate Tunnel Project now more than 70 per cent complete.
The Tasmanian Government is delivering a second package of works under the Freight Capacity Upgrade Program to improve several freight..
has announced the opening of a new depot in Adelaide
has completed the acquisition of Schenker from Deutsche Bahn for approx
Adbri has offloaded two more assets surplus to its needs
the group has banked $57 million for a 3.52 hectare Moorebank site at 20 Kelso Crescent
The vendor offered it with a 12 month leaseback; Colliers’ Sean Thomson and Adrian Balderston marketed its multi-level industrial development upside after that
The region also has one of south west Sydney’s lowest industrial vacancy rates – 0.1pc – they added
Adbri – or Adelaide Brighton Cement – is banking $5.7m from a Kewdale investment (story continues below)
The parcel is near the Kewdale Industrial Estate and a 3.8ha warehouse investment Centuria acquired last year at 48-54 Kewdale Road
Charter Hall is also a major local land owner
holding the Kewdale Distribution Centre at 123-125 Kewdale Rd
part of which it leased to Australia Post in 2020
“The sale of Moorebank and Kewdale is part of the company’s ongoing strategy to realise value from Adbri’s surplus land holdings,” interim chief executive officer
The disposals come 15 months since the ASX top 200 company divested a 2.88ha site at Fyansford
which between 2017 and last April accommodated high profile silos painted by street artist Tyrone Wright
that property traded to Base Group for a townhouse project
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Momentum is building for what will become Australia’s largest intermodal facility
with development under way of two massive warehouses providing more than 110,000 square metres of logistics space
The project is the first to get going under the stewardship of industrial property platform Logos, which steered a consortium including AustralianSuper, AXA IM Alts, Canada’s Ivanhoé Cambridge and TCorp, into Moorebank last year in a $1.67 billion deal with Qube.
Read MoreInfrastructureIndustrialLatest In CommercialFetching latest articles
Qube Logistice Commercial and Terminals general manager Simon Barney with Martinus CEO Treaven Martinus
Martinus has been awarded the $140 million Moorebank Interstate Intermodal Terminal and rail access project by Qube – a nationally significant infrastructure development that will transform the way containerised freight moves through Sydney and along the east coast
Martinus founder and chief executive officer Treaven Martinus said he and the team are thrilled to be delivering the facility
which forms part of the Moorebank Logistics Park
to refine the overall design and provided optimum solutions which ensure best for project outcomes
We have found that early involvement and collaboration are essential on major multi-disciplinary projects like this,” he said
“Due to the scale and the complexity of the works
and all the logistical complexities that come with delivering large scale metro projects
we knew transparency with the client was essential and it strengthens the relationship – and for us that sets a solid foundation to deliver a project successfully.”
Interface management will play a critical part in the project management process which includes a range of specialised pavement works
Martinus chief operating officer Ryan Baden said that the team has provided a turn-key solution only made possible by the incredible in-house experts who were specifically selected to champion these works
“This win shows me and the industry that we have an incredible team of people within Martinus who know the rail space inside and out
Our people are the reason why we are seen within the market as the experts within the complex railway infrastructure – because of their knowledge and solutions-focused thinking,” he said
“Our next generation of industry leaders are embedded in this team and I can’t wait to watch them deliver this project.”
The Moorebank Logistics Park is being developed on a precinct covering over 240 hectares of land
The precinct is roughly the size of the Sydney CBD stretching from Circular Quay to Central Station and will include up to 850,000 square metres of warehousing
National Intermodal is a partner in the terminal development and funding the rail access infrastructure
Logistics and transport company Mainfreight has announced the opening of a new 55,000 sqm warehouse within the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal.
The new space is strategically located inside the terminal in Sydney’s south-west to enable Mainfreight’s team to deliver smooth and efficient services to customers.
The site offers improved warehousing and wharf operations, combining them under one roof alongside 70,000 racked pallet spaces, 35,000 of which are specifically built for temperature sensitive freight such as pharmaceuticals.
The facility is also equipped to store and handle hazardous and retail dangerous goods, while a customs bonded warehouse is joined by satellite racking for condensed storage and autonomous mobile robotics (AMR) to improve efficiency.
These robots operate autonomously within a designated grid or pick path environment, picking up shelves of products without human involvement.
Located 32km from Port Botany, the journey takes just over 40 minutes in good traffic condition, allowing for a faster trip to and from the port.
Mainfreight says its new Sydney 3PL warehouse allows for streamlined freight management, cost savings for customers, sustainability and increased efficiency.
Alongside certain licencing such as ISO 9001 certification, HACCP accreditation and underbond licencing, Mainfreight is also committed to sustainability through the site with solar panels, electric trucks and chargers, smart lighting and rainwater storage all included.
For more than 30 years, Australasian Transport News (ATN) and its digital platform Fully Loaded have been the leading source of intelligence for owners and managers of medium to large transport businesses.
Qube managing director Maurice James. Photo: Qube
Qube Managing Director Maurice James tells Rail Express about the flagship project at Moorebank Logistics Park, what’s next for the site, and his thoughts on the road to rail freight shift.
In a little over a decade, Qube Holdings has hit some impressive milestones. Starting as a small infrastructure fund in 2007, the company was listed as QUB on Australia’s stock exchange in 2011. Growing from there, it acquired a 50 per cent stake in Patrick Container Terminals in 2016, realigning a year later into Ports and Bulk, Logistics and the Infrastructure and Property divisions.
Now, in 2019, the company has completed the IMEX Rail Terminal at Moorebank Logistics Park, a 243-hectare logistics and warehousing facility which will be capable of handling up to 1.05 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) of import/export container traffic each year. Over the next couple of years, work will continue towards the opening of an interstate terminal at the site, capable of handling another 500,000 TEU annually.
Qube Managing Director Maurice James, who has been with the company since its first year and was among the collection of former Patrick staffers who helped grow the company from the ground up, recognises the significance of the Moorebank milestone.
“It’s an organisation that only started in 2007, so in 12 years we’ve built a strong business that we’re very proud of,” James told Rail Express. “And we’re very proud of all the employees that contribute to that.”
Moorebank Logistics Park becomes the latest addition to Qube’s network of around 140 sites, employing more than 6,000 people.
“The project at Moorebank has been a vision of ours for a decade or more. For Port Botany to maximise its throughput and increase volumes as a port, Sydney needs efficient intermodal terminals to assist that. The community at large will reject growth if all the freight through Port Botany was on the road,” James says.
The vision of Moorebank was years ago developed into a concept for an intermodal terminal for import/export supply chains. Then Qube entered into an agreement with the Moorebank Intermodal Company – a government entity – to develop the whole of the precinct.
While he expects the terminal to improve efficiency for Port Botany’s stevedores – including the Qube-owned Patrick terminal – James makes the key distinction that Moorebank is not just a logistics play for the company.
“Some look at it as a logistics investment, but it’s really an infrastructure development around the property, and that should drive investment in logistics services,” he explains. “What’s key to the success of the intermodal terminal, in our view, is the development of warehousing and associated warehousing at Moorebank.”
“Ideally the benefit for us will be attracting tenants to Moorebank. Target was not a customer of Qube Logistics and now is, so we’re keen to replicate that and deliver efficiencies for new tenants at the park,” James explains.
Part of the ongoing implementation plan at Moorebank is moving towards automated operations and promoting as many advanced logistics techniques as possible for the site and its users.
“We’ve started the IMEX Rail Terminal in manual mode, but within three years we’ll have automated gantries,” James says. “Following that we propose to move the containers from the rail terminal to the warehouses via an automated transfer system to the warehouse.”
What happens inside the warehouse is up to the tenant, but James says modern warehousing techniques, including automation, can create a tremendous improvement in overall supply chain efficiency. Couple that with the natural improvement offered by an inland port such as Moorebank, and James says companies can realistically save 20 to 25 per cent on their existing supply chain costs – and they can be more efficient.
“Then you move from the traditional import model of trucking a container to a warehouse, emptying it of its contents, having its contents wait there for the customer to have orders from their retail outlets or from online distributors, picking it, placing it, and moving it to delivery. That can be much more efficient with automation today.”
A few years ago, James was asked during a public forum what the potential impediments were to the Moorebank’s success – and the success of the rail sector, in general, around Port Botany. At the time he called on the government to prioritise duplication of the rail line into Port Botany, and to encourage investment to enhance rail access at the container terminals at the port.
Happily, he says, both of those issues are being addressed. The Commonwealth Government has committed to fund the duplication of the rail line through the Australian Rail Track Corporation, and NSW Ports announced last year an initiative to invest in rail interfaces for the port’s three stevedores, starting with Patrick.
“Duplication is required to improve reliability,” James explains. “Rail operators can’t afford to have the track closed for maintenance on the weekend going in and out of a port that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 362 days a year.
“The deal NSW Ports has done with Patrick will fully automate the rail interface there and increase their capacity up to a million TEU on rail at Patrick Port Botany, and they’ve indicated a willingness to support the other two stevedores to do the same.”
James says these types of projects can actually drive a real shift towards more containers travelling to and from the port by train, rather than on the back of a truck.
“Government and the private sector have worked together to put in place the infrastructure to enable the shift to happen,” he says. “In the future, while there continues to be more efficiency in road, road pricing in our view continue to increase as tolls continue to increase on road networks, and we probably move to a kilometre-based model, in time, and move away from the fuel tax system.
“Having said that, Moorebank Logistics Park isn’t the only intermodal terminal in Sydney. Others need that investment in the stevedoring facilities to ensure intermodal rail in its entirety succeeds.”
While Qube is not actually an interstate intermodal rail operator, James agrees with the work being done by the Freight on Rail Group of Australia (FORG), which includes Qube as a member. FORG’s chairman – Pacific National boss Dean Dalla Valle – has been especially vocal on a range of road/rail competitiveness issues.
“Unfortunately, rail has often been neglected by governments, state and Commonwealth,” James says. “There has been a lot of focus on the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and improving the efficiency of road, but there’s not the same degree of influence on productivity and efficiency of rail. The national rail regulator is really a safety regulator, not a productivity regulator.
“There’s lots of areas where governments need to act towards change for rail. The community constantly says, ‘Why aren’t we using rail more in this country?’ There are lots of things the government should be doing to support more rail, and I think the community expects that.”
While Moorebank’s implementation is ongoing, it’s just one major focus for the company moving forward. James says during the development of the terminal, Qube’s underlying businesses have also developed, and the company has continued to look at opportunities on “a much smaller, but still considerable” scale around the country.
One potential project lies just 60 kilometres north of Melbourne, where Qube recently acquired a call option to buy 1,100 hectares of privately-owned land at Beveridge. The site is one of two being considered by the Victorian government for an inland intermodal terminal to ease congestion around the Port of Melbourne.
James says the Inland Rail project could be a catalyst for not just one of these developments, but both the Beveridge and the western option.
“I think it’s a game-changer for freight in Melbourne and freight in Brisbane,” he says of Inland Rail. “We are keen on the Melbourne end to have Beveridge potentially as an intermodal terminal in the future and therefore participate that way. Ultimately I think Acacia Ridge will be the location for the short- to medium-term in Brisbane.
“I think Inland Rail will facilitate decisions in Melbourne around intermodal terminals. It’s still yet to be seen as to where the Victorian Government prefers, and I don’t think it’s either/or, I think both a terminal at Beveridge and a western terminal [are valid]. It makes sense to move freight out of the centre of Melbourne. I think Inland Rail can be a catalyst for those changes, that might not have happened otherwise.”
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Logistic company Logos and renewable energy fund Solar Bay will install Australia’s largest rooftop solar system on the intermodal logistics facility at Moorebank in south-western Sydney
as the facility’s manager moves to meet growing demand from users for renewable energy
Solar Bay will fit more than 120,000 solar panels on the $4 billion Moorebank Logistics Park (MLP), which Logos and a consortium including AustralianSuper, AXA IM Alts, Canada’s Ivanhoe Cambridge and TCorp, acquired last year in a $1.67 billion deal with Qube.
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