Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia (CCAA) has today released a new report highlighting the essential role of the cement, concrete and aggregates industry in underpinning Australia’s infrastructure, housing and economic activity, particularly amid growing global uncertainty and pressure on supply chains.
The report, The Economic Contribution of the Cement Concrete and Aggregates Industry in Australia, finds the industry contributes $20.7 billion to GDP and supports 112,970 jobs nationwide, forming the foundation of the construction and infrastructure sectors.
CCAA CEO Michael Kilgariff said the findings reinforce the industry’s central role in enabling construction, infrastructure delivery and broader economic stability.
“If construction materials supply is disrupted, whether through global shocks, fuel constraints or planning bottlenecks, the impacts are clear: delayed projects, rising costs and increased pressure on housing affordability,” Mr Kilgariff said.
“This is an industry that sits beneath Australia’s entire built environment — housing, infrastructure, energy and defence.
“Every road, bridge, tunnel, hospital, school and renewable energy project depends on secure, reliable access to quarry materials, cement and concrete.”
The industry directly enables Australia’s $175 billion construction sector and underpins delivery of the $242 billion public infrastructure pipeline. Heavy construction materials are time-critical, and supply resilience depends on maintaining domestic production, access to local resources, and reliable fuel and freight networks.
“Concrete cannot be stockpiled, quarry resources are location-specific, and secure cement supply chains are critical to infrastructure delivery,” Mr Kilgariff said.
“When supply chains come under pressure, the impacts are felt immediately across projects, timelines and costs.
“At a time of global uncertainty, maintaining resilient domestic supply chains for these materials is fundamental to keeping projects moving and housing delivery on track.”
The report calls for protection of strategic quarry resources, faster and more certain approvals, retention of industrial land near growth areas, and policy settings that sustain sovereign cement manufacturing.
“Quarry approvals can take years, and access to resources close to where Australians live and build cannot be assumed,” Mr Kilgariff said.
“This is a foundation industry that must be planned for and protected if Australia is to meet its infrastructure, housing and energy ambitions.”