The Victorian quarry industry has and will continue to provide the essential building blocks including aggregates, crushed rocks, specialised sand blends, soils and clay for our economy to grow and prosper.
The unprecedented demand we are now experiencing in Victoria is the outcome of major infrastructure investment across all three levels of government, coupled with a high rate of private capital investment especially in the high density residential market. The CMPA welcomes and supports the increased infrastructure spend which is generational in response to massive net population growth and the strong economic performance of Victoria.
The CMPA has consistently highlighted deep concerns regarding a supply shortage of construction materials bought about by the lack of access to resources, particularly in close proximity to their market demands.
In excess of 60% of construction material supply throughout regional and outer metropolitan Victoria is from small to medium entities. These businesses are straining to maintain their surety of access to the raw materials to underpin the increasing demand. Many have identified additional resources for extraction, but are constrained from access by the complex and lengthy approval process.
CMPA Members have and will continue to invest in capital plant, equipment and their workforce while they have fair and financially equitable access to the extractive resources they need to meet the demand challenges. “This welcomed period of extensive construction activity is bringing about a renewed sense of understanding and purpose of our sector by government and is creating improved employment opportunities within the quarrying industry, an essential service supporting the economic growth of Victoria.” Dr Elizabeth Gibson CMPA.
The CMPA acknowledges the State Government, through the Resources Division has accepted the construction material supply and demand issues. The extractives regulator, Earth Resources Regulation, is beginning to work positively towards the aim of streamlining the approvals process thereby ensuring the adequate supply of construction materials. However, an “all of government” approach is still required to facilitate quarry industry needs, if we are to meet current and forecast demand.
It is the CMPA’s view that all State departments, regulatory agencies and local government (Council and Shires) work in a seamless, more streamlined manner to facilitate quarry approvals, while ensuring sensible environmental outcomes and protection of local amenity.
The construction materials industry urgently needs an approvals framework from a whole of government perspective that will underpin our industry’s confidence in continued investment; in particular, we ask for a fairer, more practicable and timely process for the approval of expansions to existing quarries and also for new Greenfield site quarries.
Governments, along with the general community need to better understand that historically the extractives industry in conjunction with previous governments facilitated a competitive edge for the Victorian economy. This was reflected by the close proximity of the resources to the market. This commercial advantage must be maintained if rail, road, air projects etc. are to be completed within budget. Without this outcome there will be environmental impacts from increased transport, increased transport costs and additional pressure on the road network as stone and sand is freighted from fewer, more remote quarries to the concrete and asphalt plants; and building sites.
The CMPA has and will continue to work with the whole of Government and Treasurer/Minister for Resources to address these issues.” Dr Elizabeth Gibson CMPA.
For further information please Contact:
Dr Elizabeth Gibson, General Manager CMPA
Mob: 0434 692 618