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The Northern Territory’s biggest grocery warehouse to date is now open for business, almost doubling Metcash’s capacity to transport goods across the Top End and for export.
The $20-million warehouse at the Darwin Business Park was built under the partnership between Metcash Independent Grocers and the Arnhemland Progress Association. The association will own the facility and lease it back to Metcash.
The Northern Territory Chief Minister Paul Henderson said the new warehouse was “a vote of confidence” in the state’s economy and would enable customers in remote areas to get a more diverse range of products at cheaper prices.
“The new facility more than doubles Independent Grocers’ capacity to move products and will allow new categories of non-food and variety products to be introduced,” Mr Henderson said.
The association expects to achieve a return on investment within five years, as the expanded capacity will provide a significant boost to the region’s grocery and freight sectors.
Metcash Independent Grocers started business in Darwin in 1986 and now supplies food products across an area covering 1.4 million square kilometres from Broome to Robinson River, south to Elliott and offshore to East Timor.
It operates 6,000 product lines, supplying businesses including Aboriginal community stores, service stations, accommodations, restaurants, convenience stores and schools.
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