How Can Australian Farmers Best Use Shipping Containers?

On most farms a shipping container earns its keep as secure, weatherproof, relocatable storage, chemicals and drums, tools and spares, seed and bagged fertiliser, feed and fencing gear. A 20ft General Purpose container (around 33 cubic metres) handles the majority of on-farm jobs and can be dropped onto sleepers or a gravel pad in an afternoon.

In NSW, a container used as a farm building on rural-zoned land can often go in as exempt development, with no DA required, provided it meets the standards. Set it up properly, off the ground, level, ventilated, and it will outlast most sheds.

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What are the main cost differences between buying and leasing a shipping container in Australia?

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Buying means one upfront cost (or a fixed interest-free payment plan) and then it's yours, with no ongoing fees. Leasing spreads the cost over time, but you're paying for as long as you keep the container, and the total cost can overtake the purchase price if you hold onto it for more than a year or so.

As a rough guide, a 20ft used container from Empire Containers costs from $3,344 on an interest-free lease-to-own plan (39 fortnightly payments), working out at around $6.12 a day. A new 20ft container is from $6,270 over the same term, or about $11.48 a day. Once it's paid off, there are no further costs. Leasing or hiring a container long-term, by contrast, means you keep paying every month for as long as you need the space, even after you've technically covered its value several times over.

Buying vs Leasing

Shipping containers in Australia

Buying
Leasing
Upfront cost
Higher (or spread via interest-free finance)
Low or no upfront cost
Ongoing cost
None once paid off
Long-term or permanent storage
Best for
Long-term or permanent storage
Short-term or seasonal needs
Minimum term
None
Typically 1 month, then month by month
Ownership
Yours from day one (or once paid off)
Never yours, must be returned
Resale value
Yes, containers hold their value well
None

How can Australian farmers use shipping containers for on-farm storage?

Anywhere you need a lockable, vermin-resistant, weather-tight space without getting a builder in. A container arrives finished, sits where you put it, and can be moved to another paddock or another property later.The jobs we see them doing most often:
● Chemical and drum storage — lockable, away from the house, and easy to fit out with bunding and vents.
● Tools, spares and workshop gear — the classic use. One container per shed complex saves a lot of driving.
● Seed, bagged fertiliser and feed — dry, off the ground and away from rodents.
● Fodder and baled product — a 40ft takes a serious volume out of the weather.
● Fencing and irrigation gear — posts, wire, strainers, poly and fittings, out on the boundary where you use them.
● Bikes, side-by-sides and small plant — secure overnight storage on remote parts of the property.
● Seasonal overflow — rent a second container for harvest or shearing and send it back afterwards.

Because a container is relocatable, it also suits leased country and contract work. We lease from one month, then month by month for as long as you need it.

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What is the best way to set up a shipping container for storing grain, fodder and chemicals?

The advertised weekly or monthly lease rate is rarely the full picture. Things to check for before signing a lease agreement include:
● Establishment or admin fees charged when the lease begins
● Minimum lease terms, which mean you pay for a set period even if you no longer need the container
● Condition or damage charges applied when the container is returned
● Price rises over the course of a longer lease

None of these apply once you own a container outright. There's no return process, no condition assessment and no risk of the monthly fee creeping up. Buying does mean a larger cost upfront (or through a fixed payment plan), but it's a known, finite cost from the start.
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What is the best way to set up a shipping container for storing grain, fodder and chemicals?
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Get three things right and the rest follows: the base, the airflow, and what sits on the floor.
‍‍1) Put it on footings, not dirt. Concrete pads, hardwood blocks or railway sleepers under the corner castings keep the base out of the wet and stop the frame twisting. Aim for all four corners within about 25mm of level,  leave one unsupported and the container racks, and the doors stop shutting properly.
‍2) Deal with condensation before it deals with you. Steel that drops below dew point overnight causes "container rain", water dripping from the roof onto your stock. Passive vents or whirlybirds, desiccant, or an insulated lining all help, and plastic pallets beat damp timber ones.
‍3) Keep product off the floor. Container floors are timber treated with insecticides for international biosecurity, so seed, feed and grain belong on pallets or in bulka bags, not on the deck. If you want a food or feed-safe floor, we can seal or replace it.
‍4) Grain: bagged, not bulk. Container walls restrain cargo,  they aren't built to hold back the lateral pressure of loose grain. Store in bags or bulka bags, keep cereals at or under about 12.5% moisture, and don't treat a container as a fumigation vessel; it can't hold gas-tight pressure the way an AS 2628 silo can.
‍5) Chemicals: a great shell, but it needs a fit-out. AS 2507 storage means a sealed impervious floor, bunding holding 25% of the total liquid stored, ventilation, signage, and separation from boundaries, occupied buildings and watercourses. Containers do this well once set up for it,  talk to us about bunding and vents before delivery rather than after.
‍6) Fertiliser: cool, dry, ventilated. Keep bags clear of the walls, don't store incompatible products together, and expect fertiliser dust plus humidity to be hard on bare steel.

Are there any council permits or regulations required to place a shipping container on a farm?

Often you won't need development consent,  but it depends on zoning, how many containers you're putting in, and what you use them for.

In NSW, a container used as a farm building  ancillary to agriculture, not lived in,  can be exempt development on rural-zoned land under the Codes SEPP.

The standards that catch most people out:
● One container per landholding under 400 hectares; up to five for landholdings of 400 hectares or more. Beyond that you're looking at a DA.
● Setbacks of at least 20m from a road boundary, 6m from other farm buildings and 50m from a waterbody, with side and rear setbacks scaling with the footprint.
● No habitable use, and not on a heritage item or in an environmentally sensitive area.
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If you're in Central West NSW and you're not sure what applies, ring us,  we place containers on farms around here every week.

Buy or lease with Empire Containers

Whichever way you go, Empire Containers makes it simple:
● Buy a new or used container outright, with delivery or yard pickup available
● Lease-to-own with interest-free finance through Humm, from as little as $6.12 a day
● Rent a container short-term at our Molong site if you only need space for a few weeks or months

You're always welcome to visit our yard in Molong and see the exact container you'll be getting before you decide.

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Frequently asked questions

What size shipping container is most practical for general farm storage and equipment?
The 20ft GP is the workhorse - about 33m³, fits down most farm tracks, no side loader needed. Go 40ft for fodder or bulk gear, and 40ft High Cube for extra headroom.
How do I protect a shipping container from rust and weathering in a rural environment?
Corten steel holds up well but rusts where water sits or the coating breaks. Get it off the ground on footings, keep the roof clear so water drains rather than pools, touch up scratches with rust-inhibiting primer and a marine/epoxy topcoat, and check roof, welds and door seals twice a year. Keep grass cleared from the base too.
Do prices include GST?
Yes, all our lease-to-own prices include GST, with no hidden costs.
Can I inspect the container before I buy or lease?
Yes, you're welcome to visit our yard in Molong and choose the exact container you want.
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Contact the team at Empire Containers

Ready to find your perfect container solution? Reach out to the Empire Containers team today.

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Empire Containers sells and leases shipping containers.

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+61 419 435 410jeremy@empirecontainers.com.au15 Marsden Street, Molong