Large logistics sheds keep going up across Greater Western Sydney. The Mamre Road Precinct, rezoned in June 2020, provides about 850 hectares of industrial land, and more warehouse estates are being approved around the Western Sydney Aerotropolis. Good warehouse security design for sites this size starts with how goods, vehicles and people move. Cameras, alarm zones and access control are then planned around that movement, on a network built to carry them.

Start with a Western Sydney warehouse security site walk

Walk the site with your operations lead before choosing hardware. Map the fence line and gates, truck marshalling areas, dock doors, high-value stock, offices and the comms room. Note which areas run around the clock and which close at night. On big Western Sydney lots, gates, buildings and fence lines can be far apart, so measure cable distances early. That walk becomes the brief for the rest of the design.

Loading dock CCTV: cover every handover

Stock leaves through the docks, so that's where disputes and losses usually surface. In the design:

View each dock door from outside (the truck approach and trailer position) and from inside, looking across the threshold. This stops a raised door or parked trailer creating a blind spot.
Cover the gate or gatehouse to record every vehicle in and out.
Allow for glare when roller doors open onto bright daylight, and check camera positions against the racking layout, because tall racks and narrow aisles block views.

Workplace law shapes the layout too. Under the NSW Workplace Surveillance Act 2005, cameras used to watch employees must be clearly visible, and signs must be posted at each entrance to the monitored area. Staff generally need at least 14 days' written notice unless they agree to less, and cameras are not allowed in toilets, change rooms or showers. Check the details with your adviser.

Planning warehouse alarm zones

AS/NZS 2201.1 is the Australian standard for designing, installing, commissioning and maintaining intruder alarms on a client's premises. It's currently under review. Modern panels can split a building into separate areas. Inner Range's Inception, for example, groups detectors into areas so some sections can be armed while others stay open. It also offers Night, Full and Perimeter arming modes. A practical layout might be:

dock doors and perimeter doors fitted with door contacts and armed when the last shift ends
offices armed separately from the warehouse floor
a high-value cage that stays armed and opens only for authorised staff

Time schedules can also arm areas automatically, so the site is still secured if someone forgets.

Access control for staff, drivers and contractors

Role-based permission groups such as "warehouse staff" and "contractors" make credentials easier to manage as people come and go. Lock the doors between the dock and the main floor or offices so drivers can't wander in unchallenged. If you want doors and alarm areas managed together, build that into the plan from day one.

The network behind your warehouse security

Every camera, door controller and alarm communicator in the warehouse relies on cabling. On large sites, distant cameras, gatehouses and fence lines can be too far away for a standard copper run. Manufacturers such as Axis make fibre media converters to connect cameras over longer distances. Any customer cabling also has to comply with the AS/CA S009 wiring rules.

This is where Unotel connects physical security with the network. The same licensed team does both jobs. UNOTEL Pty Ltd installs both the structured cabling and the security systems, access control and cloud intercoms. One team means fewer handovers and a single point of responsibility.

Check the licence before you sign

In NSW, anyone who sells, installs, maintains or repairs security equipment needs a Class 2C licence, and that includes electricians. You can check licences on the public register. Unotel holds NSW Master Security Licence ML 000111638 and has more than 12 years of hands-on installation experience across Greater Western Sydney, Parramatta and Campbelltown. Learn more about our security systems for Western Sydney businesses.

For advice on your site or a free site quote, call Unotel Security on 02 4613 5840.

Warehouse Security Design for Large Western Sydney Sites