Wing’s drone delivery services land in Ipswich

Having now trialled the service in the South East Queensland locales of Logan and the Gold Coast, Google’s drone delivery platform Wing has announced a partnership with DoorDash and Mirvac (ASX: MGR) to launch in the fast-growing Ipswich region to the west of Brisbane

Announced today, the Google subsidiary has established a hub for drone deliveries at Mirvac’s Orion Springfield Central shopping centre to service residents around Ipswich with drone deliveries of food.

Merchants such as Sushi Hub will be available via DoorDash’s service called ‘DoorDash Air’, which will see Wing’s drones deliver goods and services directly via the sky.

For Wing, which previously partnered with the likes of supermarket Coles and fashion brand LSKD, the launch represents its first collaboration with DoorDash and Mirvac.

“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,” Wing Australia general manager Simon Rossi said.

“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 Mayor Teresa Harding welcomed the development, which will benefit those living in parts of Redbank Plains, Springfield Central, Springfield Lakes, Spring Mountain, Brookwater, Augustine Heights, Camira, Bellbird Park, White Rock, Springfield, Greenbank and Goodna.

“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,” Mayor Harding said.

“Encouraging new services such as drone deliveries will contribute to the economic growth of Ipswich.”

Mirvac general manager Kelly Miller said the partnership demonstrated the company’s commitment to supporting retailer growth, with the collaboration mirroring previous work Wing has done with the likes of Vicinity Centres (ASX: VCX) to build a drone launchpad on the roof of Grand Central Plaza in Logan.

“At Mirvac, we are always looking at new ways to reimagine our retail spaces to create greater value for our partners and our communities,” Miller said.

“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.”