The property division of the SCT Group has begun construction of a new refrigerated facility at Forrestfield, Western Australia in a move it says will improve supply chain resilience in the face of increasing weather disruptions.
The new facility will have a total building area of 9,000m2 with the latest temperature control technology
supporting freezer, chiller, and ambient facilities to support product coming into the state, and will provide opportunities for WA companies to send a broader product range to the eastern seaboard, SCT says.
It will facilitate 50,000 additional pallets of freight to and from WA, utilising the lowest-emission freight
option for the journey.
MD Geoff Smith said the investment was part of the group’s growth strategy and commitment to assist the WA market with supply chain resilience to compensate for the deteriorating rail network and more extreme weather events. SCT claims to be the largest rail freight forwarder of food and beverage into WA, employing more than 400 people in the state.
SCT said it is taking a proactive approach on behalf of its WA customer base to address recent weather disruptions across the rail network that have cut off supply lines between east and west, and emptied
supermarket shelves.
“It’s a devastating occurrence for our customers, our company and our employees who live and breathe these challenges on a daily basis,” WA state manager Matthew Carruthers said. “This investment at Forrestfield is a small but significant step to managing these disruptions, but more needs to be done.”
Mr Smith said SCT continues to seek a dialogue with the WA Government on the steps that can be taken to address these issues, which will require a larger commitment to the WA freight and logistics sector by both the private sector and government stakeholders.
