Victorian Resources Minister Lily D’Ambrosio visited Boral’s Montrose Quarry. Image: CCAA
The Victorian Government has touted the achievements of its Approvals Coordination unit in getting more approvals for new quarries.
The Resources Victoria Approvals Coordination (RVAC) has also received support from Cement Concrete & Aggregate Australia who
According to the state government, the Earth Resources Regulator is approving more material for development year-on-year so quarries can expand to meet demand as infrastructure is built and upgraded.
So far this financial year, 26 Work Plan applications, variations and updates have been approved so sites can grow compared to 18 the previous year.
“Improvements to regulatory processes and approvals are helping deliver more rock, sand and gravel while ensuring the right safeguards are in place to protect the environment and communities,” Resources Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said.
Under the new function, RVAC has helped extend Holcim’s Warrnambool quarry lifespan, which will bring more material to the market as more wind farms are built in the area.
According to the state government, Fulton Hogan’s Tynong quarry and Boral’s Montrose quarry have also benefitted from the RVAC. With their extensions, they will help provide local Level Crossing Removal projects on the Lilydale-Belgrave and Pakenham-Cranbourne lines.
“Our investments in improving quarrying regulation in Victoria is delivering big benefits for our Big Build,” Transport Infrastructure Danny Pearson said.
The Montrose quarry is also a key supplier for the new Boral Batching Plant at Bulleen, which will produce the equivalent of 260 Olympic-sized swimming pools full of concrete for North-East Link.
CCAA chief executive Michael Kilgariff welcomed the RVAC’s approach, which had benefitted quarries in Victoria.
“As the industry continues to support Victoria’s Big Build, it looks forward to ongoing collaboration with the government to address the supply changes facing the construction materials sector,” he said.
“The infrastructure industry is undergoing a pivot from transport to energy and social infrastructure, while the building industry is also facing a number of economic and social challenges, including an acute housing shortage.
“All these sectors require an efficient and sustainable supply of heavy construction materials.”
Previously, Boral had publicly welcomed the help of the RVAC for its Montrose quarry.
According to the Victorian Government, for every one tonne of quarry material being produced currently, four new tonnes have been approved for development.
Victoria’s quarry sector delivered record annual production of 73.6 million tonnes of rock, sand and gravel in 2022/23 – quarry production has soared by more than 14 per cent over the past three years.
According to the state government, more than 300 million tonnes of new quarry resources are on track to be approved for industry development, which is around four times more than the expected demand this year.
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