Woolworths and Vaughan Constructions have begun building Victoria’s new Melbourne Fresh Distribution Centre (MFDC) located in Truganina.
The centre will be a state-of-the-art facility that stores and delivers fresh produce and chilled products to hundreds of supermarkets and is expected to open in 2020.
For the community
The MFDC will create 200 jobs during construction and 300 permanent new jobs.
Co-location with Hilton and closer proximity to more fresh food suppliers will take up to 600 trucks off the West Gate Bridge each week and a further 3,000 truck movements off Melbourne roads each year.
“We’re proud to be investing in a best-in-class supply chain network in Victoria- delivering fresher food to our customers taking trucks off Melbourne’s roads, and creating hundreds of new jobs,” Woolworths Chief Supply Chain Officer Paul Graham said.
Victorian Minister for Ports and Freight, Melissa Horne said, “… [It’s] a big win for locals in the western suburbs and a huge tick for our planners, who have been working with industry and local communities to take more trucks off local streets in the west.”
Australia’s freight and logistics capital
 The $135 million investment on the MFDC is majority funded by landowner Charter Hall, with Woolworths signing an initial 15-year lease on the site.
The investment will ensure that Victoria remains Australia’s freight and logistics capital.
“The West Gate Tunnel Project will remove trucks from local streets and cut travel times for freight as we continue to work on the business case for the Western Interstate Freight Terminal (WIFT)- a world- class freight and logistics precinct, including an interstate intermodal terminal,” Ms Horne said.