Australia Post has opened its largest integrated air and parcel processing facility in the country at Brisbane Airport, a 78,000-square-metre hub capable of handling up to 250,000 parcels per day, as the organisation moves to keep pace with Queensland’s surging online shopping appetite and flags a further investment with a new Hobart facility due in late 2027.
The Mookin-Yaba Brisbane North Parcel Facility opened on 22 April, bringing together Express Post, StarTrack premium and international sea-to-shore freight processing under one roof for the first time in Queensland.
Brisbane Airport CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff described it as the largest industrial project ever delivered at the airport precinct, calling it a purpose-built facility designed to support Queensland’s growth and strengthen the state’s logistics connectivity for decades to come.
For residents across Brisbane’s northside, the implications are practical and immediate. The facility sits inside the airport precinct adjacent to Ascot and serves as the primary air freight gateway for parcels moving in and out of Queensland, handling both inbound international shipments cleared through customs and outbound domestic express deliveries.
$17.8 Billion on the Ground
The $17.8 billion Queenslanders spent online last year has pushed existing infrastructure to capacity. The Mookin-Yaba facility scales operations to meet this demand, transitioning from abstract spending data to physical throughput,
Australia Post Group CEO Paul Graham said the new facility delivers both an immediate operational boost and a longer-term blueprint for managing growth.
“This facility provides an immediate boost to our operations, and its automation is the blueprint for speed and simplicity so that we can continue to respond to current and projected e-commerce growth across the state,” Graham said. “Queenslanders spent $17.8 billion online last year so we know they love their online shopping. It’s why we’re committed to investing in the right infrastructure that gives us a competitive edge to keep pace with demand.”
The facility accommodates almost 500 team members and is designed to remain the operational anchor for Queensland parcel movements for the foreseeable future.
Built for People and Dogs Alike
The engineering inside the facility is built around high-speed sortation technology, but the design also accounts for the operational realities of border security. Dedicated examination rooms for Australian Border Force and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry are built directly into the facility layout, allowing biosecurity inspections to take place on site rather than at a separate location.
One feature that draws attention is the purpose-built respite rooms for working detector dogs. Climate controlled and designed to provide silence and darkness between duties, the rooms acknowledge that the animals performing biosecurity work at the facility need genuine rest to operate effectively.
On the sustainability side, the facility targets a 5-star Green Star rating and carries a 450 kilowatt solar system. Australia Post will own and maintain a battery to store excess electricity from that system, reducing the facility’s reliance on the grid during peak processing periods.
A Name That Honours the Oldest Communication Network in Australia
Australia Post named the facility in the traditional language of the Yuggera and Quandamooka Nation. Mookin-Yaba translates culturally as “Home of the Message Stick,” drawing a direct line between the ancient system of communication and diplomacy practised by First Nations peoples across this country and the modern function of a facility dedicated to moving messages and goods between communities.
The acknowledgement places the facility in the context of the land it occupies and the people whose Country it stands on.
Hobart Is Next, and Tasmania Is Ready
The Brisbane opening arrived alongside the announcement of Australia Post’s next major infrastructure project: a 12,000-square-metre parcel facility to be built adjacent to Hobart Airport, due for completion in late 2027 and subject to Clarence City authorities approval.
The Hobart facility will be capable of sorting up to 6,000 parcels per hour. Its position next to the airport will give Australia Post direct airside access to its fuel-efficient A321P2F freighter fleet, making it the only express service provider operating out of Hobart Airport and enabling faster delivery across southern Tasmania and into regional and remote areas.
Australia Post general manager network operations south Darren Mackenzie said the investment reflects the strength of Tasmanian online shopping growth.
“Tasmania continues to see strong online shopping growth, with $1.6 billion spent online in the past year, an 11 per cent increase year-on-year,” Mackenzie said. “Suburbs like Howrah are recording some of the highest parcel volumes in the state, and this new facility will help us meet that growing demand while giving local retailers the confidence to grow.”
The Brisbane and Hobart investments form part of a broader national infrastructure programme that also includes recently announced facilities in Adelaide and on the Sunshine Coast, reflecting the scale of the investment Australia Post is committing to its parcel network as online retail continues to reshape how Australians shop.
For tracking, delivery enquiries or business shipping options, visit auspost.com.au.
Published 26-April-2026
