Plans Filed for Cold Storage Facility in Brisbane’s West

Investment in the refrigerated logistics sector is continuing to heat up with plans filed for a sprawling cold storage facility at Wacol in Brisbane’s western corridor.

The proposal lodged with the Brisbane City Council by Moco Food Services comprises an 18,423sq m two-storey office-warehouse.

It is earmarked for a 42,345sq m lot at 55 Barracks Road with a 250m frontage to the Ipswich Motorway.

Moco Food Services, formerly Queensland Frozen Food Services, is a family-owned and operated food distribution company that was established in 1961. It has a product offering of more than 6000 lines and services an expanding customer base across the Sunshine State and northern NSW.

According to planning documents, the proposed Wacol cold storage facility would comprise 2366sq m of office space and a 16,057sq m warehouse—including chiller and freezer space as well as meat processing area.

It would also include 17,890sq m of dedicated hardstand and 5166sq m for 189 onsite carparking spaces.

Landscaping would be undertaken across 4642sq m or 11 per cent of the site to  “ensure a positive visual amenity and softening of hardstand areas”.

The town planning assessment deemed the development consistent with the current strategic intent of the site under the council’s city plan.

“The proposed warehouse facility is consistent with the established industrial area and as such will not adversely impact on adjoining properties,” it said.

▲ Aerial view of the site earmarked for the proposed cold storage facility at Wacol.

In recent times, a scarcity of cold storage facilities has led large development groups to pump millions of dollars into the refrigerated logistics asset class. 

Coming off the back of a pandemic-driven overhaul of the food logistics and supply chain, unprecedented demand for cold storage has enabled developers to yield substantially longer lease agreements and higher rents.

Cold storage also has evolved rapidly during the past decade, transforming from one of traditional storage to a far more sophisticated and technology-focused operation.

The Moco Food Services website said the company had been investing heavily in technology to enhance its operations, including hands-free voice picking and forklifts with automated routing software.

Colliers research has valued the cold storage logistics sector at about $5 billion in Australia.