Qld needs five more quarries, relaxed rules to meet 100m tonne ‘Big Build’ demand

If Queensland is to have any chance of meeting demand ahead of the 2032 Games, the industry says these changes are a must.

The Oxenford quarry on the Gold Coast. The industry says about five more quarries are needed to meet demand. Picture: David Chatfield

Five more quarries will be needed in the southeast to meet demand for an extra 100m tonnes of building materials needed for the Olympics and the government’s “big build program’’.

The industry also says it won’t be able to extract the huge volumes of material unless the government relaxed strict regulations, including quarry operating hours and load limits on haulage trucks.

It called for action similar to the countdown to the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games when regulations were temporarily eased.

“Our industry is finding it more difficult to get new and expanded existing quarries approved,

meaning the pipeline is getting narrower in southeast Queensland in particular,’’ Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia (CCAA) chief executive Michael Kilgariff said.

“This (state) budget sets in motion a once-in-a-generation wave of major project delivery that will be deeply materials intensive.

The Oxenford quarry on the Gold Coast. About five new quarries are needed to meet demand in the next 15 years, the industry says. Picture: David Chatfield

“The delivery of these projects will hinge on co-ordinated access to essential heavy construction material inputs.

“That includes efficient quarry approvals, higher-productivity heavy vehicles and operating conditions that enable just-in-time delivery of material to sites.’’

Last month the government overrode 15 planning acts to fast-track 2032 Games venues.

A spokeswoman for Planning and Infrastructure Minister Jarrod Bleijie said the government

“recognised the challenges posed by rising demand, costs and supply chain constraints’’.

She said the Queensland Productivity Commission was due to make recommendations on streamlining the industry, which the government was committed to delivering.

“The Government is committed to working collaboratively with industry,’’ she said.

Two recent Infrastructure Australia reports warned that demand for materials in the southeast would likely outstrip supply, leading to higher prices and project delays.

The CCAA said there was plenty of good-quality material, but a huge jump in productivity was needed to get it out of the ground and processed.

Mr Kilgariff urged the government to engage with the industry on planning reforms to ensure its “extremely ambitious infrastructure plan’’ succeeded.

It said councils also had to play a part, including smoother approvals processes because existing quarries could not meet the demand.

Michael Kilgariff.

The CCAA includes major producers such as Heidelberg Materials, Boral, Holcim, Adbri, Wagners, Cement Australia and other independent companies.

It said just the $9bn budget spend on the Bruce Hwy would generate major demand for road base, asphalt and precast concrete for bridges and interchanges.

The $5.5bn Wave and $5.75bn Faster Rail to the Gold Coast required tunnel linings, ballast and pre-mix concrete.

And the Olympics would generate massive demand for materials, new housing required vast amounts of ready-mix concrete and structural concrete was necessary for new hospitals, schools and other projects.

“The delivery of these projects will hinge on co-ordinated access to essential construction material inputs,’’ Mr Kilgariff said.

Originally published as Qld needs five more quarries, relaxed rules to meet 100m tonne ‘Big Build’ demand