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Toll acts as a vital capability partner for the ADF and global agencies. Their Theatre Supply Chain business seeks to meet the high demands and expectations of defence agencies.
By managing critical supply chain and theatre logistics services, Toll ensures that military forces remain mission-ready—whether supporting domestic bases or projecting power into austere operating environments.
To better understand how these commercial logistics capabilities underpin national security, we sat down with Steve Roughsedge, Senior Vice President of Theatre Supply Chain at Toll Group, to explore their operational capabilities, regional expansion, and future roadmap.
Q: The term ‘Theatre Supply Chain’ is central to your business. How does this differ from standard commercial logistics?
SR: Theatre Supply Chain is the specialised logistics capability that defence agencies need across their theatres of operation. Traditional logistics moves standard commercial goods. In contrast, Theatre Supply Chain extends beyond commercial logistics to include the movement explosive ordnance, managing maritime port services, and operating critical, remote infrastructure like military-grade – and often remotely based - airports.
Our customers are major government agencies with broad operational needs and high capability demands. To better align with their language and requirements, we've defined our business around this Defence-focused specialisation.
Q: With Toll recently securing the massive Defence Theatre Logistics (DTL) contract, how is Toll's supply chain business supporting the ADF?
SR: Under our ten-year, $1.5 billion DTL agreement with the Department of Defence, we operate as a strategic logistics partner to streamline operations across the Joint Logistics Network. This spans the management of all sites and support warehouses nationwide, overseeing over-the-counter retail, inventory management, and national distribution via road, rail, air, and sea. It ensures our ADF personnel have fast, seamless access to the equipment and stores they need, day in and day out.
Outside of the DTL contract we support Defence in many different ways across three primary services: Aviation, Managed Services and Theatre Supply Chain.
Q: You have supported the ADF domestically for decades. What does your current footprint look like within Australia?
SR: We are positioned directly at the centre of daily military logistics. Toll manages and operates the ADF’s entire nationwide warehousing and distribution network. This integrated setup allows the ADF to instantly scale its supply chain for major military exercises, rapid disaster responses, or sudden deployment operations.
In Theatre Supply Chain we can provide solutions for just about any problem, including the movement of sensitive cargo in complex scenarios.
However, in our Managed Services business we also procure and deliver commodities for Defence, as well as move their most prized assets – their people - to help enable Defence capability through mobility.
This capability extends beyond domestic requirements. We are truly an experienced and reliable international partner when it comes to delivering solutions and moving important things – including people - for Defence and other government agencies.
Q: Beyond day-to-day warehousing, how does Toll support the military in active operational environments?
SR: Our theatre supply chain business focuses on expeditionary and contingency logistics. If the ADF needs to respond to a natural disaster, participate in a humanitarian relief mission, or deploy an overseas operation, Toll can provide personnel, equipment, and remote base camp setups on short notice. We can integrate supply chains from the point of origin right into the forward operating environment, including highly specialised services like the global transport of explosive ordnance.
Q: The National Defence Strategy heavily focuses on supply chain resilience. How does Toll's commercial expertise translate to the defence sector?
SR: We bring world-class, commercial supply chain best practices to the defence theatre. We utilise end-to-end cloud-based platforms, automated sorting systems, and autonomous mobile robots to create unparalleled supply chain visibility. By reducing duplication and streamlining delivery, the ADF is better equipped to sustain protracted operations during conflict. Our systems are designed to offer the scale and flexibility needed to scale up quickly in times of strategic necessity.
Q: Does Toll provide capabilities for global defence agencies outside of Australia?
SR: Yes, our capabilities extend beyond domestic borders. We have extensive experience partnering with the UK, US, and New Zealand Defence Forces, as well as the United Nations. Whether it is managing equipment storage facilities for UN missions in West Africa or supporting bilateral Navy deployments and port agency services, we help defence forces and industry succeed globally. We even recently opened a new office in Subic Bay to strengthen our footprint across the Indo-Pacific region.
Outside of Defence, we also provide support to other government agencies like the Australian Border Force (ABF) and vital offshore territories such as Norfolk Island's critical fuel requirements.
Q: How is Toll extending this Australian model across the Indo-Pacific region?
SR: We are drawing on our global organisation to extend our footprint to key strategic locations and alliance partners. Toll currently operates dedicated offices in 30+ countries across the globe, and from a Government and Defence business perspective we have expertise and capability across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the IndoPacific as well as the US and UK.
This physical presence enables us to deliver tailored, sovereign logistics outcomes directly inside the Indo-Pacific theatre.
Q: What is the long-term ambition for Toll Government and Defence, and what new capabilities are you developing?
SR: Our ambition is to build deep, long-term customer reliance by expanding our reach and capability. Looking ahead, we are actively developing and deploying next-generation capabilities, including:
- Secure, end-to-end movement of classified cargo across sea, air, and land
- Multimodal freight facilities placed in key Asian logistics nodes
- Exporting our proven Australian theatre supply chain model to broader global markets
We have our operations strategically aligned around Theatre Supply Chain. By fusing defence-focused expertise with Toll’s massive commercial infrastructure, the business ensures that the ADF and international partners remain mission-ready across complex global theatres.
Learn more about Toll, their Theatre Supply Chain business, as well as other ways in which they work with and support defence forces globally at the below link:
https://www.tollgroup.com/
