By KATRINA BRANDON
A VISION has come to fruition.
Last Friday (October 16), around 30 people gathered to break ground on a new Australia Post parcel facility in Morwell. Among them was Latrobe City Council (LCC) Mayor Sharon Gibson (Newborough Ward), Steph Morgan (Yallourn Ward), Leanne Potter (Budgeree Ward), Rob Moffatt (Morwell Ward), chief executive Steve Piasente and Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron.
The new Gippsland Parcel Facility will bring together Australia Post and StarTrack operations from Moe, Morwell and Traralgon into one modern, purpose-built hub, improving efficiency, safety and service for customers, team members and local businesses across the region.
The new facility will also be the first constructed within the 69-hectare Gippsland Logistics and Manufacturing Precinct (GLaMP).
At the sod-turning, Cr Gibson said a former councillor was long-time advocate of the project.
“This wouldn’t be happening today if it wasn’t for an ex-councillor of ours, councillor Graeme Middlemiss,” she told those in attendance.
“GLaMP was his vision for this plot of land. I’m delighted that you have taken up the vision to see what can be put in place here.
“I’m delighted that Australia Post is looking to consolidate here as an anchor tenant, that is going to help more to come on board. It’s about jobs, where we’re diversifying our economy, and that’s really important at this time.”
Mr Cameron highlighted the attraction the project will have for other businesses and groups to invest in Latrobe.
Expected to open in late 2027, the 10,000m2 facility will feature advanced automation capable of processing up to 5000 parcels per hour. The facility will help parcels move through the network faster, improving tracking visibility and create a safer working environment by reducing manual handling for team members.
During the unveiling of the new site, Australia Post General Manager Planning and Infrastructure, Darren Mackenzie said the investment reflected Australia Post’s commitment to ensuring regional communities continue to have access to reliable parcel services.
“Regional areas like Latrobe City are continuing to experience strong growth in online shopping, and this investment gives us the capacity to keep pace with that demand while supporting the communities and businesses that rely on us every day,” he said.
“By bringing operations together into one purpose-built site, we’re creating a safer, more modern working environment for our team members, reducing manual handling and helping parcels move through the network faster and more reliably.”
The site will incorporate a sustainable design and is planned to feature a rooftop solar system, a battery energy storage system and electric vehicle charging.
Australia Post aims to continue supporting customers through multiple retail outlets across Gippsland, with the new site also set to include parcel locker access points and dedicated customer pick-up and drop-off facilities for StarTrack customers.
Australia Post and LCC has partnered with Vaughan Construction to complete the project.
This investment is part of Australia Post’s broader transformation to modernise its network and deliver faster, more reliable services for communities and businesses across regional Victoria, with new facilities opening in Castlemaine, Benalla, Cobden, Beechworth, Myrtleford, Stawell and Robinvale in the past year.
