By Casey Neill
Amazon is officially setting up in Dandenong South.
The online shopping giant confirmed the move on Thursday 3 August following weeks of speculation.
Amazon said the 24,000 square metre site in Pellicano’s M2 Industry Park would be its first Australian warehouse and distribution centre and would create hundreds of new jobs.
The company will start recruiting immediately for roles including operations managers, pickers, packers, systems technicians and HR specialists.
In April Amazon announced its intention to bring retail sales to Australia.
“We are thrilled to be creating hundreds of new roles in Dandenong South,” Amazon’s Australian operations director Robert Bruce said.
“This is just the start.
“Over time, we will bring thousands of new jobs to Australia and millions of dollars of investment as well as opening up the opportunity for thousands of Australian businesses to sell at home and abroad through Amazon Marketplace.”
Mr Bruce said the site had easy access to the South Gippsland Highway, Monash Freeway and EastLink.
CBRE’s Industrial and Logistics business facilitated the lease.
“This new fulfilment centre will stock hundreds of thousands of products which will be available for delivery to customers across Australia when we launch our retail offering,” Mr Bruce said.
“We will be focusing on offering our Australian customers low prices on a great selection of products and can’t wait to get started.”
Last month, the Committee for Dandenong welcomed rumours that Amazon could be headed for Dandenong South.
“Amazon, my understanding is, they want to get to half of the population within half an hour,” acting chairman James Sturgess said.
“If that’s their mantra, there is no place other than Dandenong for them to be.
“We don’t know that they’re coming.
“But we’d be surprised if they don’t come.”
He hoped an Amazon warehouse would give governments a push to deliver promised and proposed infrastructure.
“The government has made lots of noises about improving infrastructure, improving the roads, building the spur line for the inland port, building the overpass at Abbotts Road,” he said.
“The government needs to confirm those things and commit to those things.”
Amazon already has almost 1000 employees in Australia. Details on available jobs are at www.amazon.jobs.
