The Allan Labor Government is making sure Victoria has the new materials it needs to build new homes and infrastructure for the state's future - supporting Victorian jobs and liveability.
Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D'Ambrosio and Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny today released the Extractive Resources Joint Ministerial Statement 2025 - underpinning a new wave of investment in Victoria's quarry sector that will ensure the supply of construction material remains strong.
The outlook for quarry production has improved across Victoria and unlike other jurisdictions with growing populations, approval times are 40 per cent faster on average than in previous years.
The Joint Ministerial Statement will help to further fast-track quarry approvals by removing barriers between government departments - meaning the quarry sector can make investment decisions with more certainty.
The statement strengthens state planning policies to be clearer on where new quarries can be established in the future with the creation of Strategic Extractive Resources Areas - which will direct development to appropriate areas and give greater certainty to the community about where quarries will be located.
By shoring up quarry's construction supply, the Joint Ministerial Statement is also complementing the Labor Government's bold housing reforms with a small sized home typically requiring a minimum of 250 tonnes of rock and sand.
Record investment in infrastructure across the state is also driving demand for raw quarry materials - making it critical for the quarry sector to be able to provide affordable raw materials close to construction and reduce the likelihood of supply shortages in the years to come.
The Labor Government has been speeding up approvals for new quarries with the Resources Victoria Approvals Coordination (RVAC) unit, which has been helping bring future resources to market close to where they are needed.
Since 2022, RVAC has supported the approval of close to 480 million tonnes of raw quarry materials, which exceeds target approvals over the same period by 100 per cent.
During the 2024/2025 financial year, quarry approval times improved by more than a third - this includes 300 million tonnes of hard rock and 170 million tonnes of sand, which are key inputs for building new homes, schools, hospitals, and transport infrastructure.
As stated by Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D'Ambrosio
"We're making sure our quarries can keep delivering the materials needed to build and upgrade housing, hospitals, schools, infrastructure, roads and renewable energy projects."
As stated by Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny
"By getting quarry approvals moving faster, cutting unnecessary delays, and giving industry more certainty to invest - we can keep delivering the homes and infrastructure our growing state needs."
