Work has officially begun on the new home of the Walkinshaw Automotive Group with today’s sod turn ceremony, celebrating the construction commencement in the Nexus Dandenong South precinct, and partnership with one of Australia’s largest private integrated property groups, Salta.
The partnership announcement and official commencement of construction for Walkinshaw Automotive Group’s new facility was marked with a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday 11 July, which was attended by executives from Salta and Walkinshaw, along with construction partner FDC and consultants from TMX, Watson Young and the project’s funding syndicate.
Aunty Caroline and Paul Kelly were also in attendance, performing a Welcome to Country and traditional smoking ceremony to recognise the traditional landowners and welcome the delegation to the milestone event.
The world-class 100,000sqm approximate site, located at 820 Taylors Road, Dandenong South, will be completed in Q4 of 2025, and includes custom-built warehousing, office space, hardstand, and 700 on-grade carparks.
Inside, Walkinshaw Automotive Group will continue its remanufacturing programmes for some of the largest automotive Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEMs) for the Australian market, all in separate, secure areas, as well as continuing to provide its engineering and manufacturing solutions.
Importantly, the site will be a huge step towards the group’s carbon neutrality, with solar power to match the sites utility usage, waste initiatives and access to the commercial rail link.
There will be more announcements to follow on the exact make-up of the new site, before officially moving in at the end of 2025.
Ryan Walkinshaw - Walkinshaw Group Director & CEO
“Today is a very significant day for the Walkinshaw Automotive Group, and our ongoing commitment to the Australian manufacturing and engineering industries long-term here in Australia.
“Since 2018, Walkinshaw Automotive Group has seen significant growth, which meant the need for us to find a new home that met all of our unique requirements, so we are delighted to partner with Salta to make this a reality. This site also continues our journey to carbon neutrality, which is extremely important in our eyes.
“This new, state-of-the-art facility ensures the Walkinshaw Automotive Group continues our expansion, and continues our ability to be industry leaders in engineering and manufacturing, all from under one roof. It creates a standalone hub for the business, but with separate, secure locations within to protect each customer and their programmes.
“The consolidation of our manufacturing and engineering facilities will help make us more competitive on a global scale by improving efficiencies and investing in the latest technologies.”
“We’d like to thank the Victorian Government Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions for their support and commitment to local manufacturing, Salta, and also to TMX for their help during the process.”
Sam Tarascio - Salta Managing Director
“Salta has worked closely with Walkinshaw to design and deliver a state-of-the-art facility that is able to accommodate the high standards of its unique business needs.”
“This agreement demonstrates a strong vote of confidence in the southeast’s industrial market, and it is yet another example of Salta’s proven track record of collaborating with our clients to create custom-made solutions in strategic locations.”