Wing, Australia’s first on-demand drone delivery service, has partnered with DoorDash, the leading on-demand delivery platform, and Mirvac, one of Australia’s leading property groups, to launch the first drone delivery service in the City of Ipswich, Queensland.
The new operation sees Wing establishing a hub for drone deliveries at Mirvac’s Orion Springfield Central shopping centre, allowing local restaurants and retailers using DoorDash’s service to deliver food and essentials across the region using Wing’s drones. From today, merchants such as Sushi Hub will be available via the service, known as ‘DoorDash Air’.
The initiative also emphasises Mirvac’s focus on supporting retailer growth and consumer experience. While for DoorDash it creates a quick, efficient option for smaller orders and frees up their teams to focus on larger deliveries.
Mirvac Retail’s General Manager, Kelly Miller, said, “At Mirvac, we are always looking at new ways to reimagine our retail spaces to create greater value for our partners and our communities. Working with Wing, we are transforming a section of the Orion Springfield Central carpark to bring new technology to the region, providing another point of connection between customer and retailer, and ultimately deliver a better shopping experience.”
While the launch represents the first collaboration between the three companies, it also signifies Wing’s partnership with the Ipswich City Council to bring the project to life and embodies the Council’s focus on strengthening the local economy and building prosperity through a safer, healthier, innovative and more connected region.*
Simon Rossi, General Manager of Wing Australia, said: “We’re thrilled to officially launch in Ipswich and to team up with Mirvac and DoorDash to support consumers’ demand for faster, more convenient, and sustainable delivery choices. Businesses need to be able to offer a range of delivery options, with the most appropriate option selected depending on the weight and size of the package. On-demand drone delivery helps address the costly last-mile delivery challenge for lightweight goods. It reduces road congestion and emissions while creating new economic opportunities for retailers and communities.”
“Ipswich is the state’s fastest-growing city and with our population forecast to grow to 453,875 by 2041, now is the time to harness new economic opportunities and attract investment into the region,” said Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding. “Encouraging new services such as drone deliveries will contribute to the economic growth of Ipswich.”
Economic and Industry Development Committee Chairperson and Division 2 Councillor Nicole Jonic said the council’s Office of Economic Development had worked closely with Wing to help it take flight in Ipswich. “The Council helped in analysing possible launch sites, taking into account feasibility of local businesses and customers. We were also able to facilitate introductions to local landowners and connected Wing representatives with local chambers of commerce,” she said.
Division 2 Councillor Paul Tully also lent his support to the launch. “This collaboration between business and council is evidence of the innovative nature of the types of ventures the City of Ipswich is now attracting,” he said.
“We are proud of the innovation and growth of Greater Springfield over the past 31 years, and the evolution of retail services to a drone delivery model is a great example of the strong business growth that is occurring in our region, which is now the fastest growing in Australia,” said Raynuha Sinnathamby, Springfield City Group Managing Director. “There are more than 53,000 people now living in Greater Springfield. Local residents and businesses will be able to access these services and we look forward to the job and business opportunities that will grow from this.”
While Wing has traditionally provided delivery services directly to residential and business customers, the company is now accelerating its partnerships with real estate and logistics businesses to expand delivery options, making fast drone delivery affordable and sustainable.
Wing plans to continue identifying retail properties and high-demand regions in urban areas where drone delivery can add customer value.
*Analysis from Accenture, published in the 2023 report, “Flying into the future”, commissioned by Wing, shows drone delivery has the potential to reduce emissions and make Australian roads safer. By reducing the number of motor vehicle journeys taken in fulfilling last-mile deliveries around Australia, drones can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 238,000 tonnes by 2033, equivalent to the carbon storage of over 7 million trees. Drones can also reduce traffic on roads which will result in 320 fewer serious accidents each year, and reduce congestion by 2.0 billion vehicle kilometres, of which 1.2 billion will be from arterial roads.
