Mirvac and its industrial venture partner, Australian Retirement Trust, launched their first carbon neutral targeting industrial warehouse earlier this month. The warehouse will house CEVA, a third party logistics company committed to reaching net zero by 2050.
The 34,000 square metre warehouse is also the first to reach completion within the 56 hectare Aspect Industrial estate at Kemps Creek, Western Sydney.
The logistics estate was the first site approved under the new planning regime for Mamre Road precinct, a land rezoned for employment uses under the NSW government’s Planning System Acceleration Program in 2020.
The estate is estimated to be valued at $660 million upon completion. Plans for the estate include 247,000 sq m of warehouse and office space, built to focus on flexibility, functionality, technology, and sustainability for Western Sydney.
Mirvac’s chief executive of investments, Richard Seddon, said Aspect is forecast to provide over 500 jobs during construction and 1200 operational jobs over the course of its development.
“We are delighted to welcome CEVA, one of the world leaders in third party logistics, to Aspect, the first facility to be delivered in the Mamre Road precinct under the new planning regime.
“The Aspect estate is targeted to be Mirvac’s first carbon neutral (embodied carbon) industrial development,” Seddon said.
He said the company had worked with the tenant for more than two years to develop a brand new, high quality logistics facility that meets the company’s supply chain needs, including market leading temperature control capability to support its extensive growth in the technology and healthcare sectors in New South Wales.
“The delivery of the first warehouse at Aspect has contributed critical construction and operational jobs as well as investment and enabling infrastructure to boost the economic development of Western Sydney – supporting living and working in this community where around one in nine Australians currently reside,” Sedden said.
CEVA, a logistics and supply chain management company that handles freight and contracts said the building will target a 6 Star Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia.
Michael Harich, country head of contract logistics for CEVA in Australia and New Zealand, said the warehouse will be a key aspect of its goals to protect the environment and hopes it will help the company reach net zero by 2050.
He said the warehouse, which will become a distribution centre, has an 830 kilowatt photovoltaic system with a battery for renewable power production connected to more than 1510 solar panels.
The building will also feature translucent roof sheeting, LED lighting, rainwater harvesting and smart metering.
“All of our new warehouses in Australia have been designed to put sustainability and technology at the forefront of our operations.
“Together with two other upcoming ones in Erskine Park, we are building a sustainable logistics cluster in Western Sydney to better serve the region,” Harich said.
Australian Retirement Trust’s head of global real assets, Michael Weaver, added that the project will contribute to the retirement savings of around 2.3 million members.