Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia (CCAA) has welcomed the release of the Queensland Government’s 2032 Delivery Plan and 100 Day Review Report, while reinforcing the need for urgent action to address long-standing risks to the supply of critical construction materials.
CCAA is the voice of the heavy construction materials industry in Australia. CCAA members produce the majority of Australia’s cement, concrete, and aggregates, which are crucial to the Australian and Queensland building and construction sectors.
“We support the Government’s vision and planning clarity. But to ensure this infrastructure program is affordable, sustainable, and deliverable, Queensland must urgently secure the building blocks—aggregates, cement and concrete—through a coordinated supply strategy,” said CCAA Chief Executive Michael Kilgariff.
“The 100 Day Review identifies a $9.87 billion infrastructure task, including major new venues, Games villages, and transport programs. This comes alongside broader state-wide investments such as the Bruce Highway upgrade and renewed focus on housing and hospitals, which alone will require over 55 million tonnes of additional raw material between now and 2032.
“That’s a once-in-a-generation construction load. But with many quarries at their regulated limits, and new quarries likely needed before 2032 just to meet Olympic-related demand, Queensland’s supply chain is already under serious strain,” Mr Kilgariff said.
“This unprecedented demand will require a renewed focus on productivity.”
CCAA welcomes the Queensland Government’s commitment to achieve a productivity uplift in the construction sector. But the industry stresses that unless this includes faster and more consistent quarry approvals, reduced regulatory burden, and removal of operational restrictions, productivity gains will be undermined.
“We support the Government’s objective to lift productivity, but the disconnect between state planning policies and local development approvals is dragging projects down,” said Mr Kilgariff.
“We’ve seen quarry proposals delayed or denied for years in areas already identified as Key Resource Areas. The sovereign risk is real.”
CCAA is recommending the QLD Government:
- Calibrate infrastructure spend with actual material supply capacity, region by region;
- Transfer responsibility for major quarry development assessments from local government to the state, at least for quarries in KRAs;
- Lift or streamline output caps and restrictive operating conditions; and
- Protect Key Resource Areas from urban encroachment and sterilisation.
“We welcome the opportunity to continue working with the Government to deliver this plan—and to ensure a successful Games built on solid, local foundations.”