The ceremonial ribbon has been cut and operations are now in full swing at Toll’s largest specialised healthcare warehouse facility in Victoria, which is now open for business.
A $20 million TGA-licensed healthcare facility at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport Business Park has been custom designed to support the requirements of its growing customer base. It will support the warehousing and distribution of medical supplies, including pharmaceuticals, vaccines, anti-venoms, medical devices, and over-the-counter medicines.
Constructed by CMW Design & Construct (VIC) the facility’s development also has a focus on sustainability, targeting a 5-Star Green Star building certification. This building is set to be the first within the Melbourne Airport Business Park to achieve such an accreditation.
Mel-Air, CMW and Toll recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony with several dignitaries to mark the official opening of the site and the precinct in which it resides.
“None of this would have been possible without the support, attention to detail and collaboration from our key partners at TMX Transform, CMW Design and Construct as well as the team at Melbourne Airport Property,” says Michael Lawrence, General Manager of Toll’s Healthcare business in Australia.
The facility has received one of the highest ratings from customer auditors in the region and is well on track to receive an A1 compliance rating from the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Its advanced specifications on security, mechanical systems and electrical redundancy are critical for the nature of its operations.
The 10,000 sqm temperature-controlled facility is a significant addition to Toll’s network servicing the health care industry. This state-of-the-art asset has been custom built to support CSL Seqirus’ operations situated on the adjoining site, which produces influenza vaccines for Australia and the rest of the world, antivenoms, and
blood plasma.
This strategic decision and collaboration will bolster Toll’s tailored support by handling both finished goods distribution and supplying raw materials and packaging to the CSL Seqirus manufacturing facility – which is nearby.
“We are proud to strengthen our partnership with Seqirus and expand our footprint in the healthcare logistics sector,” says Michael.
“This new facility exemplifies our commitment to delivering high-quality, tailored supply chain solutions to meet the evolving needs of our customers.”
Toll Healthcare ensures the safe warehousing and reliable transportation of temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals and medical supplies across the whole of Australia.
It’s committed to ensuring the highest standards of quality and assurance for its customers, through effective processes, preparation and execution to deliver safe and reliable services across Australia.
Michael is equally as proud of the service his team and broader business provide.
“This new facility in Tullamarine is another example of our commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction within the Healthcare sector,” he says.
Sustainability
Energy efficiency has been a focus in the planning and construction of this facility, with the certification underway targeting a 5-Star Green Star building rating (certification in process).
The warehouse has energy-saving LED lighting with motion sensors which turn on/off automatically.
The site also has a 60kw solar panel installation, and supplementary power is 100 per cent accredited GreenPower, supported by supply from the Melbourne Airport Solar farm.
There’s also the capacity for rainwater harvesting via the 20,000L rainwater on-site storage and there are EV charging systems available on site for cars and trucks.
From a sustainable practices’ perspective, as the facility is adjacent to the CSL Seqirus manufacturing facility, this will reduce the number of trucks on the road between the current or previous Toll and CSL facilities.
Toll Healthcare also provides a reverse logistics services and solutions that remove one-time-use-packaging and other waste from the supply chain, favouring reusable and sustainable packaging and distribution methods.
Effort and consideration also went into the landscape design to ensure it has native Australian flora and that the plants are compliant with existing Melbourne Airport regulations so as not to attract birds or other wildlife to a busy and congested traffic area.
Storage and inventory management
Space optimisation has been a critical aspect of the planning with the warehouse floor being designed and prepared for “Very Narrow Aisle” (VNA) racking and manual handling equipment (MHE) usage should this be required in the future due to growth.
All MHE and forklifts are fitted with Lithium-Ion batteries, which store a lot of energy in a small space which in turn translates into longer battery life and faster charging times – this delivers operational benefits and efficiencies.
Being able to monitor and control the temperature across different zones is critical and the facility is 100 per cent temperature controlled throughout. There are three temperature-controlled zones that have been fully validated and approved:
•Controlled Ambient, 15 – 25 (9935.2 sqm)
• Cool Room, 2-8 (1428.3 sqm)
• Freezer, -21 (64.7 sqm)
There is a Building Management System – BMS and a Temperature Monitoring System – TMS to ensure there are not any temperature exclusions in the facility.
The facility is equipped with secure and monitored loading zones with temperature-controlled docks and trailers as well as a state-of-the-
art warehouse management system – WMS that provides real-time traceability of inventory and orders.
The focus on monitoring and controlling temperature throughout its supply chain continues from the warehouse environment through to transportation by using a fleet of modern vehicles equipped with GPS tracking, temperature monitoring and data logging devices. Temperature-controlled packaging is also provided, through using validated and qualified materials and methods that ensure the integrity and stability of the products during transit.
Quality Control
Toll Healthcare’s quality management system – QMS at the new Tullamarine facility provides the foundation for everything it does to assure that they meet or exceed the customers’ quality requirements.
Its QMS is a comprehensive governance framework that controls and monitors all aspects of warehousing and distribution operations, ensuring that Toll meets or exceeds the requirements of relevant industry standards, such as Good Distribution Practice (GDP), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), ISO 9001 and ISO 13485.
The QMS ensures the facility follows the best practices and guidelines of regulatory bodies, such as the Therapeutic Goods Administration (this facility has a TGA A1 rating), the Poisons licence requirements of each of the states, the Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe) and the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).
Strategically convenient location
This new Healthcare facility also benefits from being within a prime location. The Tullamarine Airport Business Park setting provides convenience not only to the new
CSL manufacturing facility and its operations, but more broadly provides unrivalled access to key roadways and distribution hubs across Melbourne, allowing even more convenience, speed and access by being within:
- 4km of Melbourne Airport
- 2.2km of the Tullamarine Freeway
- 2.5km of the Metropolitan Western Ring Road
- 4.4km of Essendon Airport
- 15km of the Melbourne CBD
- 16km of the Melbourne Port and Docklands areas
“This is a first-class facility, supported by a committed and professional team,” says Michael. “Our relationship with CSL has also been of vital importance in allowing us to deeply understand their needs and then customise a plan and a facility that will enable us to support them – and others – with an unprecedented level of service and consideration.”
Michael is emphatic when signalling Toll’s growth plans and future commitment within the Healthcare sector.
“This facility is another signal of our intent and commitment to grow our Healthcare business and provide greater service and support to the sector,” he adds.
“New customers are welcome, as the growth and opportunities this facility provides Toll healthcare, and our customers – both current and emerging – is exciting for all of us.”
To read more about Toll Healthcare, click here