Toyota likely to sell Sydney site

TOYOTA Australia’s Sydney corporate site is likely to be sold, following confirmation that the company will shift its parts centre and eastern region office to other locations in the city, while Lexus will relocate to the Port Melbourne headquarters.

The Japanese car-maker announced last week that the 350 staff at its Australian sales and marketing department in the Sydney suburb of Caringbah would be made redundant or redeployed to Victoria as a part of its plan to cut 2600 jobs and consolidate its business in Melbourne by 2017.

Toyota Australia media and external affairs manager Beck Angel told GoAuto that all functions for the company’s luxury brand Lexus will also be relocated from Caringbah to the company’s headquarters in Port Melbourne.

Ms Angel said the move would also usher in a new ‘chain of command’ between Lexus and Toyota.

“The Lexus division will report directly to the President [of Toyota Australia],” she said.

“This will provide the best opportunity for Lexus to create its own identity and further enhance its brand.”

The Sydney Toyota Parts centre is also based at the Caringbah facility with 150 staff employed there, as is the Eastern Region Office, with its 25 staff who are responsible for coordinating the company’s dealer network.

Ms Angel said that with the sales and marketing department heading to Melbourne, these two operations would be moved elsewhere in New South Wales.

“Both of these functions will be relocated, although we have not yet determined where they will move,” she said.

“It is expected that the Sydney Toyota Parts Centre will be relocated west of Sydney. The new location of the Eastern Region Office is still to be determined.

“We first need to confirm the ideal location for these functions. We aim to have the locations confirmed in 2015.”

As for the fate of the Woolooware Bay property in Caringbah, Ms Angel said no decision had been made on what to do with it, but given its size and potential worth it is likely to be sold.

Much of Lexus and Toyota’s media relations are performed by automotive marketing communications consultancy The Project Group headquartered in Sydney.

With corporate functions for the Japanese car-maker moving to Melbourne, The Project Group’s director John Smailes said that he is looking forward to the positive opportunities ahead.

Toyota confirmed in February this year that it would shut its Australian manufacturing operations in 2017, following the exit of fellow local car-makers Ford and Holden.

The Japanese company currently builds the Camry and Aurion at its Altona site in Melbourne’s west.