The short answer
A make good in Truganina usually means handing back a large, modern distribution centre in the condition your lease requires. The big items are removing pallet racking and repairing anchor holes, dealing with any in-rack sprinklers, removing line marking, repairing slab joints and forklift damage, fixing dock levellers and doors, and cleaning the warehouse and hardstand. Scale makes planning and a clear written scope essential.
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Key takeaways
- 01Truganina warehouses are large, so small items such as anchor holes and line marking add up across the whole floor.
- 02If your racking has in-rack sprinklers, a licensed or registered fire protection plumber must do that work, and a building permit may be needed.
- 03Dock levellers, sectional doors, slab joints and hardstand are common make-good items in distribution centres.
- 04Check whether your address is in the City of Wyndham or the City of Melton before applying for any council permit.
- 05Agree the floor finish (for example, how anchor holes are filled) in writing before quotes, because it changes the price.
Truganina, in Melbourne's outer west, has many large modern warehouses and distribution centres. Industrial land around roads such as Dohertys Road and Boundary Road holds big concrete tilt-panel buildings with high roofs, wide truck courts, recessed loading docks and large sealed slabs. The suburb is split between the City of Wyndham and the City of Melton, so check which council covers your address.
A make good at this scale is different from an inner-city office. The items are simple on their own. There are just thousands of them.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Your lease decides what you must do. For advice on your obligations, speak to a lawyer or the Victorian Small Business Commission.
What does a distribution centre make good involve?
Your lease clause sets the scope. These are the items that usually come up in a Truganina distribution centre:
| Area | Common make-good items |
|---|---|
| Racking | Dismantle and remove selective, drive-in or narrow-aisle racking; cut or remove anchors; fill and finish anchor holes |
| Fire services | Disconnect in-rack sprinklers and leave the base-building system working; reinstate any changes to detectors or exit signs |
| Slab | Remove line marking and floor paint; repair slab joints, cracks and forklift damage; clean oil and tyre marks |
| Docks and doors | Repair dock levellers, dock seals and shelters, sectional and roller doors, bollards and wall panels |
| Structures | Remove mezzanines, office pods, cages, battery charging areas and conveyor supports you added |
| Electrical and data | Remove added lighting, power, forklift chargers and data cabling; make safe |
| Office and amenities | Remove fit-out you added, patch, paint, repair carpet |
| Outside | Clean hardstand and truck court, repair damage, clear pallets and waste, remove signage |
The Melbourne warehouse make-good page explains racking, anchor holes and line marking in more depth.
Why does scale change the job?
In a large warehouse, small choices multiply. How anchor holes are filled is a good example. A flush cut-and-fill is quicker than a finish that closely matches the slab. Across thousands of anchors, that choice can be one of the largest items in the quote. The same goes for line marking removal (grinding, blasting or chemical removal) and slab joint repairs.
Before you ask for quotes:
- Ask the landlord, in writing, what finish they expect for anchor holes, line marking and slab repairs.
- Pull out the start-of-lease condition report and photos. The Victorian Small Business Commission recommends agreeing a condition report at the start of a lease. In a big warehouse, that report is your best evidence about pre-existing slab cracks and damage.
- Get your racking layout drawings so contractors can count bays, uprights and anchors accurately.
What about in-rack sprinklers and fire services?
High-bay racking in large warehouses often has sprinklers fitted inside the racks. They are part of the building's fire protection, which is an essential safety measure. Victoria's permit exemption for minor alterations to commercial buildings does not cover work that relates to or affects an essential safety measure (Building Regulations 2018, Schedule 3 item 4). That means removing racking with in-rack sprinklers may need a building permit. Altering the sprinkler pipework is fire protection work, which must be done by a licensed or registered plumber (Plumbing Regulations 2018 (Vic), regs 17 and 18). Ask a registered building surveyor early, because it can affect your timetable.
What licences and safety checks apply?
- Electrical. Removing forklift chargers, added lighting and power is electrical work. In Victoria it must be done by a licensed electrician, and installation work is inspected by a licensed electrical inspector (Electricity Safety Act 1998, ss 38 and 45).
- Structures. Removing a mezzanine changes floor area, so it usually falls outside the minor-alterations exemption and may need a building permit (Building Act 1993, s 16).
- Asbestos. Most Truganina warehouses are recent, but the asbestos register still needs to be reviewed before refurbishment or demolition work (OHS Regulations 2017 (Vic), regs 240 and 241).
Can I pay the landlord instead of doing the works?
Sometimes. Distribution centre landlords often re-let to tenants with different racking layouts, so they may prefer a payment or may let some items stay. That is a negotiation, not a right. Get the deal in writing. See payment in lieu of make good. If you removed or changed parts of the building without consent, be aware that the High Court in Tabcorp v Bowen [2009] HCA 8 allowed a landlord to recover the cost of reinstatement, not just the loss in value. Get legal advice before you agree a figure.
When should I start?
Earlier than you think. Racking can only come out once the stock is gone, and a big site may need a staged handover. Allow time for the scope, quotes, any permit for in-rack sprinklers or mezzanines, and a joint inspection with the landlord before your lease ends. The lease exit timeline sets out the order.
How MAKE GREAT helps Truganina tenants
- Get my make-good quotes. We prepare a written brief, including racking layouts and landlord requirements you share, and invite up to three vetted independent contractors who cover the west. If fewer than three are available, we tell you.
- Analyse my lease. Our lease check lists what your lease appears to require, what is unclear and what the documents do not establish, with page references. It is preliminary, not legal advice, and a person reviews unclear clauses.
You choose the contractor and contract with them directly. Free for tenants. If you hire a contractor through us, they pay us a referral fee. Nobody can pay to rank higher. We do not promise that you will save money.
Get my make-good quotes or analyse my lease. Nearby: Laverton, Port Melbourne and the Melbourne make-good hub.
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Frequently asked questions
What does a make good involve for a distribution centre in Truganina?
Usually removing racking, mezzanines, office pods and anything else you installed; repairing anchor holes, slab joints and forklift damage; removing line marking; repairing dock levellers, doors and wall panels; making added electrical work safe; and cleaning inside and out. The lease clause decides the exact list.
What happens to in-rack sprinklers when the racking comes out?
In-rack sprinklers are part of the fire protection system. Altering them is fire protection work, so a plumber licensed or registered for that work needs to disconnect them and leave the remaining system working properly. Victoria's permit exemption for minor alterations does not cover work affecting an essential safety measure, so ask a registered building surveyor whether a permit is needed.
How should racking anchor holes be repaired?
There is no single standard. Some landlords accept anchors cut flush and filled with a repair product; others want a finish that closely matches the surrounding slab. Ask the landlord which they expect and get it in writing, because the method changes the cost across thousands of anchor points.
Do I need to remove the line marking?
If you added it and your lease requires the premises returned to their original condition, usually yes, unless the landlord agrees in writing that it can stay. Some incoming tenants want similar line marking, so ask the landlord before paying to remove it.
Which council covers Truganina?
Truganina is split between the City of Wyndham and the City of Melton. Check which council covers your address before applying for permits.
Can I pay the landlord instead of doing the make good?
Sometimes, if the landlord agrees. Distribution centre landlords often re-let to tenants with different racking layouts, so a payment or reduced scope can suit both sides. Get an independent quote for the full scope first so you know what the works would cost.
Sources
Primary sources we checked when writing this page. Laws and guidance change, so check the current version.
- 1.Building Act 1993 (Vic), Version 152 (opens in a new tab)
- 2.Building Regulations 2018 (Vic), reg 23 and Schedule 3 (opens in a new tab)
- 3.Electricity Safety Act 1998 (Vic) (opens in a new tab)
- 4.Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic), asbestos (opens in a new tab)
- 5.Victorian Small Business Commission, FAQs (opens in a new tab)
- 6.Tabcorp Holdings Ltd v Bowen Investments Pty Ltd [2009] HCA 8 (opens in a new tab)
- 7.City of Wyndham (opens in a new tab)
- 8.City of Melton (opens in a new tab)
- 9.Plumbing Regulations 2018 (Vic), Version 010, regs 17-19 (fire protection and gasfitting work) (opens in a new tab)