TMX Transform Provides First of Its Kind Insights With New Quarterly Report Across the Network
In the first quarter of 2026, the cost-cutting urgency of recent years hasn't disappeared, but it is no longer the whole conversation. Businesses are taking stock of stabilised construction costs, a property market with negotiating room, and an automation landscape that is maturing rapidly.
TMX Transform is about to release its inaugural quarterly report to break down the numbers and insights impacting Australia’s supply chain, industrial property, and project services decisions. As Across the Network will explore, Australia’s leading decision makers are moving from short-term survival to building networks that will remain competitive for years to come.
This first of its kind report will also include TMX Transform's proprietary Q1 2026 cost benchmarking data covering 3PL warehousing and transport rates across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. For supply chain and logistics decision makers looking to analyse their current spend or benchmark a new operation, it is a rare opportunity to access current market rates in one place.
A Snapshot
Supply Chain: The shift from cost-out to transformation is underway. Businesses are redesigning end-to-end networks, looking to emerging automation provider markets, and moving from one-off simulation testing to ongoing strategic planning.
Property: Rising vacancy and returning incentives have created a negotiating window. Occupiers are leveraging this to interrogate their networks, optimise their property footprint, and execute long-term strategies.
Project Services: Construction cost escalation has moderated to mid-single digits, restoring confidence in business case planning. Fire approvals and data centre expansion are the emerging pressure points to watch.
What the Data Shows
Most supply chain work this quarter has concentrated on setting up future networks – designing what comes next rather than patching what exists. A breakdown of TMX Transform’s top 5 areas clients are investing within their supply chain are network strategy, DC design, program management, automation expertise, and optimisation/cost-out.
On the property side, Victoria is the most active market, with rents well below Sydney even after outgoings. South Sydney rents now rival office rents, pushing occupiers west into areas where port and transport access becomes more difficult. Brisbane continues to attract interest on the back of population growth and infrastructure investment ahead of the 2032 Olympics. In project services, construction programs are becoming reliable again, but fire approvals for automated facilities are adding two to four months and potentially millions in unplanned costs, a risk that is catching occupiers who haven't built these contingencies into their planning.
"Increasingly, our clients are factoring in network strategies as part of their future – not just for change, but for the cost of inaction, including lost revenue and competitive service gaps." — Charlotte Jordan, Executive Director, Supply Chain, TMX Transform
The Forces Shaping the Rest of This Year
In the report, TMX Transform identifies the biggest emerging pressures to start 2026:
Data centres competing for labour, capital, and power infrastructure – with major developers raising billions that could redirect resources away from industrial and logistics projects.
Land scarcity tightening in established precincts, with infill redevelopment becoming a necessity rather than an option.
Consumer expectations accelerating faster than most businesses can respond, driving infrastructure decisions that businesses must make now.
Planning approval timelines stretching – particularly in New South Wales and Victoria – making early engagement and site selection more critical than ever.
Simulation evolving from a one-off planning tool into a continuous strategic capability.
Across the Network, TMX Transform's Q1 2026 Quarterly Insights Report, releases mid-March 2026. Access the report first here:https://tmxtransform.com/across-the-network-early-signup/
