Key Facts:
- Southeast Tasmania faces exhaustion of locally available coarse sharp sand supplies, according to new Mineral Resources Tasmania report
- Concrete producers will need to source sand from north and northeast Tasmania, with transport distances increasing from 35km to over 300km
- The situation will lead to increased construction costs, strained supply chains, and impact affordability of major infrastructure projects
- CCAA recommends streamlined approvals, faster licensing, better resource protection, and improved monitoring systems
- Without reform, Tasmania faces higher construction costs, investment uncertainty, and increased environmental impact from long-distance sand transportation
Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia (CCAA) welcomes the release of Mineral Resources Tasmania's new technical report, A Study of the Sand Inventory of Southeastern Tasmania, which confirms the critical and immediate challenge facing the State: the effective exhaustion of locally available coarse concrete sand in Southeast Tasmania.
The MRT report finds that as of 2025, the region has "effectively exhausted its available supply of natural coarse sharp sand suitable for concrete manufacture", forcing concrete producers to rely more heavily on transported sand from the north and northeast of the State at distances increasing from 35 km to more than 300 km.
This shift will inevitably drive up construction costs, stretch supply chains, and jeopardise the affordability of major housing, transport and community infrastructure projects.
The report provides a valuable evidence base that validates the need for urgent, coordinated action by Government, action already outlined by CCAA in its Tasmanian Policy Priorities document, aimed at ensuring local materials can be delivered affordably to support Tasmania's growth.
"Concrete sand is essential to every home, road and piece of public infrastructure in the State. MRT's report highlights both the significance of this resource and the growing pressures on supply," said CCAA CEO Michael Kilgariff.
"We now need Government to move quickly to implement the necessary policy and approvals reforms that will unlock new supply and protect the State's future access to key resources."
CCAA has recommended a series of high-impact actions to Government, including:
- Streamlined approvals processes for quarry operations to enable industry to respond flexibly to market demand
- Faster assessment and granting of exploration licences and mining leases to bring new resources online sooner
- Protection of significant sand resources through improved land-use planning, similar to successful interstate models
- Better monitoring, reporting, and whole-of-market demand analysis to inform future policy and investment decisions
"Without reform, Tasmania risks increased construction costs, uncertainty for industry investment, and a growing reliance on transporting sand from the north, adding price pressures, emissions and road impacts," Mr Kilgariff said.
"CCAA looks forward to working closely with Government to progress these recommended measures as a matter of priority, ensuring the sector can continue to support Tasmania's housing needs, infrastructure pipeline and regional economic development.
About us:
About CCAA CCAA is the voice of Australia's heavy construction materials industry, an industry that generates over $15 billion annually and directly employs 30,000 Australians, with a further 80,000 employed indirectly. CCAA members produce most of Australia's cement, concrete, and aggregates, which are essential to the nation's building and construction sectors.
