Construction materials play an important role in Australia. Image: Enrique del Barrio/stock.adobe.com
A leading advocacy body has urged the winner of the upcoming Queensland election to develop a plan for heavy construction materials.
Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia (CCAA) has released its Queensland election policy priorities ahead of the October election. According to the organisation, the CCAA represents members of Australia’s cement, concrete and aggregates sector, which employs 110,000 Australians and generates $15 billion in annual revenues.
The CCAA has urged the incoming government to consider a plan for the supply of heavy construction materials, including regulatory reforms, to help support the sector’s delivery of crucial construction materials.
It comes as Oxford Economics estimated direct investment for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics would exceed $10 billion and raised concerns about resource reallocation, supply capacity and cost escalation.
“As Queensland prepares for an unprecedented number of infrastructure projects, including those related to the Brisbane 2032 Olympics, the heavy construction materials industry will play a critical role in ensuring the sustainable and cost-effective delivery of these projects,” CCAA chief executive officer Michael Kilgariff said.
“CCAA is calling for urgent supply and regulatory reforms to support the industry and enable the more sustainable and efficient delivery of construction materials.
“This will require the development of a comprehensive Heavy Construction Materials Plan covering cement, concrete and aggregates. These materials are all vital to meeting Queensland’s ambitious project pipeline across transport, energy, water, housing, defence, and social infrastructure sectors.”
It follows similar requests raised by the CCAA in the wake of several state budgets earlier this year including Queensland as well as South Australia and New South Wales.
After the Queensland budget, the CCAA highlighted the need for the state government to accelerate protections for local quarries and the development of the heavy construction materials plan.
The Queensland budget included spending on capital infrastructure related to the Brisbane 2032 Olympics, renewable energy and storage projects, and continuation funding for several ongoing infrastructure projects.
Kilgariff said this infrastructure pipeline heightened the importance of construction materials in the state.
“Queensland’s future infrastructure pipeline, driven by projects like the Brisbane 2032 Olympics, will require an unprecedented amount of construction materials,” he said.
“It is essential that the incoming Queensland Government leads the necessary reforms to increase supply, ensure affordability, and avoid potential bottlenecks that could delay critical projects.
“The CCAA Queensland Election Policy Priorities emphasise the indispensable role of heavy construction materials in supporting the state’s infrastructure and economic growth.
“The Priorities also highlight the importance of decarbonisation and urge the incoming Government to commit to a Heavy Construction Materials Plan that aligns with our collective decarbonisation goals.
“Ensuring a sustainable construction industry requires public procurement practices that reflect government policies on reducing emissions. Prioritising this alignment is vital to enabling the collaborative efforts necessary to achieve our collective net-zero goal.
“CCAA looks forward to engaging with policymakers and stakeholders to discuss these priorities and working collaboratively to secure Queensland’s infrastructure future.”
The Queensland election is on October 26.
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