Construction is almost complete on Amazon’s new 200,000 sqm robotics fulfilment centre in Western Sydney.
The Kemps Creek facility is the Southern Hemisphere’s first Amazon Robotics fulfilment centre, creating more than 1500 jobs for locals.
The building’s shell is complete and the site is in the final stages of internal fit-out, external works and commissioning of building services.
More than 4,000 people have worked on the construction and fit out of the site which included installation of around 14 kilometres of advanced conveyancing equipment and 2.5 kilometres of Amazon Robotics safety fencing.
Approximately 37,000 yellow storage pods have been built to house up to 20 million of the smaller items sold on Amazon.com.au including jewelry, books, electronics, pantry items and toys, and hundreds of robotics drives have been commissioned, ready to assist employees fulfil customer orders.
Robots work collaboratively with employees by moving the pods of inventory to them, reducing the time and effort that would otherwise be required for the employee to stow items for sale or pick them for new customer orders. They also save space, allowing for 50 per cent more items to be stowed per square metre which in turn allows for increased product selection.
Craig Fuller, Director of Operations, Amazon Australia says The opening of this site will double Amazon’s operational footprint in Australia.
“The introduction of robotics enables us to exponentially increase our capacity for storing inventory, providing additional opportunities for the thousands of small and medium sized Australian businesses we support, while increasing product selection and improving delivery speed for our customers around the country,” he says.
When it opens, the Amazon Robotics FC will offer a diverse range of job opportunities with competitive pay in a high-tech, industry-leading workplace ranging from IT, HR and robotics professionals, to associates who will work collaboratively with robotics, to pick, pack and ship items to customers. Hiring has already started for the site, including the promotion and transfer of around 130 existing employees from Amazon’s first Sydney fulfilment centre in Moorebank.
“We’re pleased to offer quality employment opportunities for people in Western Sydney in a safe and positive work environment, at a time when they are needed most. Along with specialised positions in areas like robotics, we have a range of roles that don’t require formal qualifications and provide an opportunity to work alongside advanced technology and build a career at Amazon. We’re excited to welcome people from all backgrounds and experiences to our team in the new year,” Craig adds.
The facility is set to be operational in the first quarter of next year.