Key Facts:
- CCAA has welcomed the Productivity Commission's focus on planning reform to improve housing supply, but warns that secure access to heavy construction materials must also be ensured.
- Concrete, cement and aggregates underpin every home, road, school, hospital and utility network, meaning efficient sourcing and supply is critical to housing affordability.
- Locating construction materials close to growing communities reduces costs and eases pressure on roads and freight networks, with longer transport distances driving up construction costs.
- CCAA has called on governments to develop Heavy Construction Materials Plans to identify future demand, protect resource sites and ensure quarrying and transport infrastructure keeps pace with population growth.
- Once a quarry is lost to incompatible development it cannot be recovered, so CCAA argues that planning for housing and planning for construction material supply must occur together rather than in isolation.
Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia (CCAA) has welcomed the Productivity Commission's focus on planning reform to improve housing supply, saying governments must also ensure Australia has secure access to the heavy construction materials needed to build new homes and infrastructure.
CCAA Chief Executive Officer Michael Kilgariff said planning reform and faster approvals would only deliver lasting benefits if governments also planned for the long-term supply of construction materials close to where they are needed.
"Concrete, cement and aggregates are the foundation of every home, road, school, hospital and utility network," Mr Kilgariff said.
"If governments are serious about improving housing supply and affordability, they must also ensure these essential materials can be sourced and supplied efficiently.
"Locating heavy construction material resources close to growing communities is critical to both productivity and affordability. The further materials must be transported, the higher the cost of construction and the greater the pressure placed on roads, freight networks and project delivery."
Mr Kilgariff said CCAA had consistently called on governments to develop Heavy Construction Materials Plans to identify future demand, protect strategically important resource sites and ensure quarrying, transport and processing infrastructure could keep pace with population growth.
"Construction materials are often taken for granted until supply is constrained," he said.
"Once a quarry is sterilised by incompatible development, that resource is effectively lost forever, forcing materials to be transported over longer distances at greater cost.
"Planning for housing and planning for construction material supply cannot occur in isolation. Governments must safeguard access to local resources if they want to build homes and infrastructure more quickly and affordably."
Mr Kilgariff said coordinated land-use planning would help reduce supply bottlenecks, improve freight efficiency and support more reliable project delivery.
"Australia needs a planning system that not only enables more homes to be built, but also protects the resources and infrastructure required to build them," he said.
"CCAA looks forward to contributing to the Productivity Commission's consultation and working with governments to ensure planning reforms support housing delivery, productivity and the long-term security of Australia's heavy construction materials supply."
About us:
About CCAA CCAA is the voice of Australia's heavy construction materials industry, an industry that contributes $20.7 billion to GDP and supports 112,970 jobs nationwide. CCAA members produce most of Australia's cement, concrete and aggregates, which are essential to the nation's building and construction sectors.
