Australian Pharmaceutical Industries (API), a business unit of Wesfarmers Health and a leading wholesale pharmaceutical distributor, has secured a 10-year lease term at ASCEND Industrial Estate at Jandakot Airport. The new 18,000 square metre facility at (Site 518) Centurion Place is earmarked for completion in 2027 and more than doubles the footprint of API’s previous Perth site, as occupiers more broadly shift towards greater automation, scalability, and enhanced supply chain resilience.

API services 4,000 pharmacies, including Priceline Pharmacy and Pharmacist Advice brands, across Australia. Its move to Jandakot marks a significant step in its operational transformation and west coast distribution strategy – better supporting the community and facilitating a faster turnaround time for medicine delivery. The facility itself will service more than 330 first-line trading pharmacies – and more as a second line wholesaler - in Western Australia with prescription medications, over-the-counter medications and retail health and beauty products.

Western Australia has enjoyed some of the strongest population growth rates nationally and continues to report a strong labour market¹, with Jandakot benefitting from its access to a 430,000+ labour force within its catchment. The strategic location near Perth’s expanding southern corridor, combined with immediate access to key arterial roads, such as Roe Highway, Tonkin and the Kwinana Freeway, strengthens API’s distribution capabilities throughout the state, especially along the coastal pharmacy network, which stretches as far south as Albany and north to Kununurra. Additionally, the estate’s proximity to an operational airport provides enhanced security, benefitting from controlled access roads and regular night patrols, which is vital for the safe and compliant handling of pharmaceutical products.

API joins a growing cluster of multi-national and health-related tenants at the blue-chip 220-hectare industrial estate, including Healius Pathology and Health Support Services (HSS), ALDI, Amazon, Kmart and reece.

Tailored to perform

Dexus worked in close partnership with API to deliver a highly tailored facility that meets both immediate operational needs and long-term strategic objectives. A collaborative automation workshop in Melbourne brought together API, Wesfarmers Health, Capstone (as head contractor), and automation provider Knapp to align on the integration of mezzanine structures, conveyors, secure vaults, and a shuttle system. 

The development was guided by a clear understanding of API’s business case, including lessons from prior rollouts on the east coast such as improving the base building integration to enhance delivery timeframes and operational efficiency. The Jandakot site was designed to accommodate automation from day one, with technical features that support pharmaceutical logistics and dangerous goods handling. Despite its bespoke nature, the facility retains core design fundamentals, standard grid lines, separate access for cars and trucks, and flexible racking systems, ensuring future adaptability and mitigating risk.

Dexus’s development expertise was also critical in delivering the project to brief, on time and within budget. Infrastructure certainty, including ownership of transformers and the ability to provide reliable power, supported the automation requirements and enabled solar integration. The proposal was held throughout the process, despite broader market challenges, reflecting our conviction and capability in delivering complex industrial solutions.

Creating value through commitment and customisation

API’s expansion at Jandakot is a clear example of how strategic location, tailored development, and long-term partnership can deliver enduring value for both our customers and investors. In a market where securing long-term commitments remains challenging, API’s 10-year lease provides long-term income, underpinned by API’s backing and its own capital investment into the project.

Sustainability is embedded into the estate, with energy-efficient base building systems, LED lighting and sensors, a rainwater harvesting system, integrated solar arrays, as well as several broader ESG strategies underway. Power security measures, including battery storage and generator backup support the demands of automated operations and ensure business continuity for customers.

Dexus’s dual role as development manager and fund manager was instrumental to the project’s delivery and the ability to tailor a solution for a strategic customer such as API, while embedding long-term value protection and ESG principles. The deal was structured to balance tenant needs while minimising investment risk, including market-leading initial rents and mechanisms for future value preservation. The diversified customer base at Jandakot is further strengthened with the presence of API, adding to the estate’s quality, tenant mix, and long-term leasing profile. 

¹ CBRE Industrial & Logistics 2025 report