Fabcot Pty Ltd, the property arm of Woolworths Group, has lodged a State Significant Development application for a new warehouse and distribution facility in Macquarie Park. The proposal, located at 144 Wicks Road, includes a Customer Fulfilment Centre (CFC) and a generic warehouse across two tenancies. The application is now on public exhibition until 5 June 2025.
Proposal Overview
The development includes a Customer Fulfilment Centre, a second warehouse tenancy, a ‘direct-to-boot’ area, and associated office, landscaping, infrastructure, and parking facilities.
The 24/7 facility will operate without retail sales to the public. Goods will be delivered from other Woolworths warehouses, repacked at the CFC, and dispatched to customers across northern Sydney. The total gross floor area will be 34,486sqm, with the estimated development cost reaching $189.3 million.
Masterplan by Nettleton Tribe Architects
Background of the Proposal
The 5.9-hectare site is identified as Lot 21 DP1101233 and fronts Epping Road, Wicks Road, and Waterloo Road. Located in the Macquarie Park Innovation Precinct, the area is earmarked for significant growth, with strategic plans anticipating 100,000 new jobs and 9,600 new dwellings.
Previously, the site had approval for a hardware and garden centre. The current application replaces that with a logistics-focused proposal better aligned with regional infrastructure and growing demand for online delivery services.
The site’s location offers access to major arterial roads and is within walking distance of Macquarie Park Metro Station and frequent bus services.
Woolworths identified the site as a key distribution point due to its connectivity to regional warehouse hubs in Minchinbury, Yennora, Moorebank and Eastern Creek. Its central position within Sydney’s northern and north-western catchments allows the proposed CFC to reduce vehicle kilometres travelled, support electric vehicle logistics, and streamline last-mile grocery delivery. The location also supports Woolworths’ operational strategy to meet increasing demand for online orders in high-growth urban areas.
Design
The proposal is forecast to generate 1,588 construction jobs and 536 operational full-time equivalent roles. It’s expected to contribute $241.3 million to NSW GDP during construction and $147.8 million per year in ongoing operations. The proposal comprises a five-storey building containing a warehouse, CFC, ‘direct-to-boot’ facility, offices, and a rooftop solar installation.
The built form responds to surrounding development, using articulated facades, material variation and landscaping to reduce visual impact. The Epping Road and Wicks Road frontages feature deep soil zones with new canopy tree planting.
The proposal retains part of the site for potential future public open space and provides a new signalised access road aligned with the Macquarie Park planning strategy.
The development incorporates sustainability measures such as the use of green electricity, rooftop solar, an all-electric delivery fleet, rainwater harvesting, and efficient fixtures.
The building is designed for operational efficiency while minimising noise, lighting, and air quality impacts on neighbouring properties. Separate pedestrian and vehicle circulation improves site safety.
Project Team
- Developer: Fabcot Pty Ltd (Woolworths Group)
- Planning Consultant: Planning Ingenuity Pty Ltd
- Architect: Nettleton Tribe Architects
- Civil Engineer: Martens and Associates Pty Ltd
- Landscape Architect: Ground Ink
- Traffic and Parking Consultant: Colston Budd Rogers and Kafes
- Economic Impact Assessment: Hill PDA
- Sustainability Consultant: Nettleton Tribe Architects
- Noise and Vibration Consultant: Acoustic Logic
- Air Quality Consultant: Northstar Air Quality Pty Ltd
- Heritage Consultant: Artefact Heritage and Environment
- Ecology Consultant: Narla Environmental
- Social Impact Assessment: Planning Ingenuity
- Aboricultural Consultant: Sydney Landscape Consultants
- Quantity Surveyor: Rider Levett Bucknall
For more information or to make a submission, visit the NSW Planning Portal and search the application number SSD-48853239. The public exhibition is open until 5 June 2025: https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/woolworths-cfc-and-warehouse-macquarie-park
