The 18th CMPA Annual Dinner was held on Saturday 25th August 2018 at The Australian Events Centre, Essendon Fields. A great night was had by all with about 300 people in attendance including The Hon. Tim Pallas MP, Treasurer of Victoria and Minister for Resources. A small outdoor trade display was held for the first time with various machines and trucks on display from CMV Truck & Bus, Eagle Fuels & Lubricants, Liebherr Australia, Onetrak, Terex Jaques, Tutt Bryant Equipment and William Adams.

A celebration of the CMPA was the theme with the presentation of the special edition 100th Issue of Sand & Stone and a CMPA Members video depicting small, medium and large businesses across Victoria was also presented on the night.

View the CMPA Member’s Video

The Andrews Labor Government has passed new laws that strengthen the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) – giving the regulator the powers and tools it needs to stop pollution and protect Victoria’s environment.

The Environment Protection Amendment Bill 2018, which passed the Victorian Parliament today, transforms environment protection laws to focus on prevention, rather than responding to pollution after it has occurred.

In an Australian first, the reforms introduce a criminally enforceable ‘General Environmental Duty’. The Duty requires people conducting activities that pose a risk to human health and the environment from pollution and waste to take reasonable steps to eliminate or reduce them.

It means environment protection in Victoria will no longer be a waiting game – with people caught breaching the General Environmental Duty to face penalties and sanctions.

The Bill substantially increases maximum penalties to better reflect the seriousness of environmental offences.

In a boost for businesses, the reforms deliver greater clarity and flexibility, including reforms to EPA licencing and the environmental audit system.

The Bill also introduces a range of measures to boost EPA’s ability to do its job, including strengthening powers for EPA Authorised Officers to enter premises and investigate suspected breaches of the law.

In a Victorian first, the Bill also gives community members the opportunity to seek civil remedies to enforce the Environment Protection Act and regulations.

The new laws will come into effect on 1 July 2020, which will allow time to develop the regulations and guidance required to support the new laws.

These instruments will be informed by close and sustained engagement with the Victorian community and industry.

The Labor Government has invested over $180 million to transform the EPA into a modern regulator that will protect Victoria’s environment now and into the future.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio

“These historic reforms were developed carefully over a number of years and will help protect Victoria’s environment for generations to come.”

“We’re making sure Victoria’s EPA is equipped with the people, powers and resources it needs to do its job and protect Victoria’s environment.”

View this media release

The Andrews Labor Government is ensuring Victoria has the sand, stone and gravel it needs build to build our homes, roads, rail lines, schools and hospitals.

In a joint statement released today, Minister for Resources Tim Pallas and Minister for Planning Richard Wynne mapped out a better approach to securing supply for affordable housing and lower-cost infrastructure.

In the year to March, the value of Victoria’s engineering construction activity was $14.7 billion – up 48.7 per cent in the last year to the highest value on record – driven by the Labor Government’s record infrastructure pipeline.

To support this building boom, the Labor Government released the Extractive Resources Strategy Helping Victoria Grow in June this year, which sets out a new approach to secure access to critical materials.

The Joint Statement provides clear lines of authority through the planning process and identifies a ‘hot list’ of sites for priority planning consideration to address pressing supply constraints for the construction industry. The hot list is expected to halve current approval times from 18 to nine months.

The eleven quarries on the initial list are expected to supply around 160 million tonnes of materials over their lifetime. Victoria’s annual demand for materials is expected to grow from around 60 million tonnes today to more than 100 million tonnes by 2050.

To help meet the growing demand of Greater Melbourne and the western Gippsland region, the Labor Government is prioritising geoscience and land inventory work to support the protection of a strategic sand resources in South Gippsland Shire.

An ‘agent of change’ principle will be applied to existing quarries to avoid encroachment on buffer space and planning rules will be amended to provide greater flexibility for quarries to quickly respond to market conditions.

The Joint Statement strengthens local input to the lifecycle of quarries before, during and after they operate, including the rehabilitation of former quarries into lasting community assets like the Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne, Newport Lakes Reserve in Newport and Valley Lake in Niddrie – which are on former quarry land.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Resources Tim Pallas

“Our building boom and the demands for construction material is driven by our record infrastructure pipeline – building the schools, hospitals and transport Victorians need.”

“We have to secure supply of our quarry materials to provide affordable housing now and for future generations.”

Quote attributable to Minister for Planning Richard Wynne

“We’re streamlining planning and protecting quarry sites needed to supply vital building materials and ensuring the land is returned as an asset to the community.”

View the media Release

The Joint Ministerial Statement on Extractive Resources has been released by the Minister for Resources, Tim Pallas, and the Minister for Planning, Richard Wynne.

The Statement maps out a better approach for securing the supply of extractive resources for affordable housing and lower-cost infrastructure.

View the Statement.

Tip truck owner-drivers working on new government contracts will receive mandatory minimum pay rates for the first time thanks to the Andrews Labor Government.

Treasurer Tim Pallas today announced that the mandatory minimum rates would apply to all Victorian Government construction projects where contracts are yet to be awarded, ensuring tip truck drivers get the decent and fair pay they are entitled to.

The Labor Government will use pay schedules approved by the Transport Industry Council to ensure a consistent approach across the tip truck sector.

These schedules provide a basis for determining appropriate rates which can be adjusted to address site specific safety or working requirements.

To maintain flexibility in contracting arrangements, tip truck owner-drivers will be able to receive hourly or contract rates.

Better wages and income certainty will reduce economic factors that encourage owner drivers to engage in unsafe driving practices – like driving for too long without a rest – that compromise safety for all road users.

Government agencies will enforce mandatory minimum pay rates through their contract management processes.

Quotes attributable to Treasurer Tim Pallas

“This significant breakthrough will make life easier for hard-working owner drivers – ensuring they are paid properly for the important work they do.”
“Better pay will reduce the incentive to drive long hours just to make ends meet, improving safety for everyone on our roads.”
“We’re ensuring tip truck owner-drivers share in the prosperity our pipeline of construction projects is creating across Victoria.”

Quote attributable to Minister for Roads Luke Donnellan

“We know that we need to attract more people into the industry and improve standards, that’s why we’re investing in a review into driver training and standards and working with industry on training programs.”

View this media release on premier.vic.gov.au

Preparing for Debt Collection Calls

JULIE LAMERS, Chief Executive Officer of Kearley Lewis Pty Ltd reports on the art of Debt Collection.

Read article

Local Mix Quarries – 17 year relationship and still going strong

SHAUN DEN-BAKKER, Area Manager – Metso Lokotrack (VIC/SA/TAS) for Tutt Bryant Equipment talks about the long term relationship built with Metso Lokotrack crushers and Local Mix Quarries.

Read article

Take Control of Hazard Prevention and Guarding Workers Safety

NEIL KINDER, CEO Kinder Australia highlights the importance of installing conveyor safety guards on materials handling sites.

Read article

Management Liability Insurance – (Protects directors, officers and managers of a company)

ARIETE JARDIM, Principal Broker at Gallagher discusses the advantages of Management Liability Insurance.

Read article

Victorian Recycling Production Manager Adam Somerscales shares how Alex Fraser Group is taking its glass recycling one step further by building an improved processing plant at their Laverton facility.

Read article