Viva Energy Australia and Coles Express have opened a new $10 million service station at the Cook Street exit on the Westgate Freeway, Victoria.
The opening of the Shell Coles Express Westgate Freeway site symbolises the return of the Shell brand to Australia’s busiest road corridor. Its proximity to the freeway, and the Port of Melbourne, has resulted in a site cleverly designed to service Melbourne’s trucking community.
In addition to 12 standard filling stations for everyday motorists, the site features a dedicated diesel forecourt with four truck-filling positions fitted with ultra-high flow pumps. AdBlue is available at the pump separately. To accommodate trucking customers, the canopy height is 5.2m and the food offer includes a mix of traditional and healthy option retail outlets.
“This site is perfectly positioned to service the trucking industry, local residents and general commuters and Viva Energy is pleased to have taken on a 15-year prime term lease,” Viva Energy General Manager Sales Daniel Ridgway said.
The Westgate Freeway site – developed by MAB (Michael and Andrew Buxton) – was constructed by a local firm, as were the underground fuel tanks. About 80 jobs were created during construction and more than 20 ongoing positions will be created from sub-tenancies over and above those working for Coles Express.
Mr Ridgway said Viva Energy is focused on growth.
“Nationally in 2015 we have opened 24 new service stations operated by Coles Express and signed 19 dealer-owned sites into the network and we expect to exceed this number in 2016,” he said.
A total of eight Shell Coles Express sites were opened in Victoria during 2015, representing a significant leap forward in the company’s retail and fuel distribution expansion program.
“Viva Energy is focused on developing quality sites throughout Victoria that service our customers, support our competitive Shell Card offer and underpin the fuels we manufacture at our Geelong Refinery,” Mr Ridgway said.
“These eight new sites are strategically located to service demand across Melbourne and together they have added 85 million litres of fuel into the Shell Coles Express network. This is great news for our Geelong refinery as every litre of fuel we sell in Victoria helps support local manufacturing.”
Viva Energy was launched following last year’s purchase of the Shell Australia downstream business (excluding Aviation). It comprises the Geelong refinery, a 900-plus site-retail network and a bulk fuels, bitumen, marine, chemicals and lubricants business supported by more than 20 terminals across the country. Viva Energy is the exclusive licensee to the Shell brand in Australia.
