Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia (CCAA) has called on the NSW Government to ensure industrial lands reform strengthens the heavy construction materials supply chain required to deliver the State’s housing and infrastructure pipeline, in its submission to the New Approach to Strategic Planning Discussion Paper.
CCAA CEO Michael Kilgariff said planning reform presents an important opportunity to better align housing targets with the materials needed to build them.
“Housing delivery and materials supply must go hand in hand,” Mr Kilgariff said.
“Cement, concrete and aggregates are the building blocks of homes, roads and renewable energy infrastructure. Planning settings must support their efficient production and distribution.”
Mr Kilgariff said industrial land in Greater Sydney is limited and under increasing pressure, while the construction materials supply chain depends on proximity to growth areas, freight corridors and ports.
“Concrete supply depends on being close to where it is used,” he said.
“When operations are pushed further from growth areas, it directly affects cost, emissions and delivery timelines.”
CCAA has recommended the State Land Use Plan formally recognise the heavy construction materials supply chain, designate strategically located industrial precincts as state-significant, and ensure planning frameworks support efficient operations, including appropriate operating settings for key facilities.
CCAA has consistently advocated for the development of a NSW Heavy Construction Materials Plan to provide greater coordination across government, streamline approvals and protect strategic extractive resources from encroachment over the long term.
“Industry has the capability and capacity to invest as demand grows,” Mr Kilgariff said.
“What we need is planning certainty that protects critical industrial land and enables the supply chain to operate efficiently.”
“Getting industrial lands policy right is fundamental to housing affordability, infrastructure delivery and economic growth.”
CCAA said it looks forward to working constructively with the NSW Government as planning reforms progress.
“We welcome the opportunity to contribute to a framework that supports both housing delivery and the materials that make it possible,” Mr Kilgariff said.