Northern Tasmania sends most of its output through Bell Bay and across Bass Strait, and that sea leg is often the largest single cost in a Launceston business’s supply chain. When freight is that expensive, a carton has to arrive intact the first time. A seal that bonds into the board rather than sitting on top of it is part of getting that right. Carewell supplies water activated tape to northern Tasmanian producers with national distribution into Launceston.
Key points
- Bell Bay is northern Tasmania’s main freight gateway, and Bass Strait shipping is proportionally the biggest transport cost for a typical local business.
- Water activated tape bonds into the corrugated fibres, so one strip holds through the long sea-and-road journey to the mainland.
- Tamar Valley wine, dairy, red meat, food processing and the region’s pharmaceutical crop all pack for interstate or export, not local delivery.
- Carewell will work to your required minimum order quantity. Talk to our team, whether you are a cellar door or a processing plant.
The Launceston packaging picture
Northern Tasmania’s packaging demand runs through Bell Bay: the container terminal, the industrial estate, and the road network feeding it from the Tamar Valley, the north-west coast and the midlands. The output is Tamar Valley wine, dairy and red meat, vegetable and berry processing, honey, and the pharmaceutical poppy crop that the region is known for. More than 80% of Tasmania’s food and beverages are sold interstate or overseas, so almost all of this is packed for a long journey.
That journey is a road leg to Bell Bay or Devonport, a Bass Strait crossing, then mainland road distribution or an export transfer. Long dwell, humidity and repeated handling are standard.
Problems Launceston businesses tell us about
- Freight is too expensive to redo. With Bass Strait shipping the largest line in the supply chain, a damaged or reworked carton costs far more from Launceston than from a mainland city. The seal has to hold the first time.
- Long, humid transit. A carton sealed on a Tamar Valley line may not be opened for a week or more, after a sea crossing. A fibre-bonded seal survives that where surface tape can lift.
- Provenance brands. Northern Tasmanian wine and food sell on origin and quality. A recyclable kraft carton with a branded paper seal supports that, and meets mainland retailers’ packaging requirements.
- Regulated and export cartons. Pharmaceutical and export freight carries documentation and integrity expectations at every handling point; a tamper-evident seal helps.
- Small and seasonal volumes. Many northern producers run seasonal or small batches and cannot commit to a pallet of one tape. Flexible minimum orders matter.
Where water activated tape fits
- Producers shipping interstate or export: reinforced grade, full H-pattern top and bottom, for the sea-and-road journey. See reinforced vs non-reinforced and sealing for the journey.
- Wine and premium food: reinforced for the weight of a full carton; recyclable kraft cartons, optionally printed.
- Pharmaceutical and export freight: reinforced heavy grade with printed security messaging and a receiving check.
- Processing lines: an electric dispenser for consistent seals across a shift. See the dispenser guide.
Supply into Launceston and northern Tasmania
Carewell supplies Tasmanian businesses with national distribution. We supply the whole dispatch line, not just the tape: reinforced and non-reinforced water activated tape, dispensers, cartons, kraft paper mailers, honeycomb mailers, paper void fill, and custom-designed packaging built to your product.
Carewell can meet all your packaging needs
One supplier for the tape, the carton, the fill and the branding, designed to work together and delivered to Launceston and across Australia. If your product needs a specific carton, insert or seal, we engineer it to fit rather than making you adapt to stock sizes. Talk to our team about what you ship and we will work to your required minimum order quantity, whether you are a Tamar Valley winery or a food processor packing pallets.
Carewell is certified to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018, and is an APCO member. Request a quote and samples or call +61 (02) 8760 1491.
Frequently asked questions
Do you supply water activated tape in Launceston?
Yes. We supply northern Tasmanian businesses with national distribution into Launceston and the Bell Bay industrial area.
Why does the carton seal matter more here?
Because Bass Strait shipping is often the largest single cost in the supply chain, a carton that fails means paying that freight twice. A fibre-bonded seal is built for the long sea-and-road journey.
Can you supply small or seasonal quantities?
Yes. Talk to our team about your volume and we will work to a minimum order quantity that suits a small or seasonal operation.
What grade suits wine cartons?
Reinforced grade, because a full wine carton is heavy and often stacked; applied in a full H-pattern top and bottom.
Can the tape be printed with our branding?
Yes, flexographic or digital print in water-based inks, so the carton stays recyclable.
Written by Alif Vasaya, digital and content strategy, Carewell Group. Carewell Group is an Australian packaging, food packaging, tape, industrial safety and 3PL supplier serving Launceston and all of Australia. Last updated 10 September 2026.