The CCAA has encouraged both major political parties in Queensland to deliver reforms for the heavy construction materials industry after the state election.
With Queensland’s 2020 state election on the horizon, the CCAA has called for the Queensland Government to consider its policy priorities to enable cost-effective building materials – including sand, gravel, premixed concrete and cement – to be supplied for future infrastructure projects.
The CCAA has asked the future state government to be more proactive in its role for quarry approvals and protection processes, by introducing clear measures to prevent local councils from allowing conflicting developments near quarries.
This also means support for the development of new and extended operations when confronted with “non-representative local interests”.
“Local opposition to such projects will hinder plans for an infrastructure-led recovery by stopping jobs, making building materials more expensive, increasing the costs of housing, schools and hospitals, and putting more trucks on to already congested roads,” CCAA Queensland state director Aaron Johnstone said.
“An average new home needs about 110 tonnes of crushed rock, sand and cement in 53m3 of concrete.”
Johnstone welcomed the focus on infrastructure projects in announcements so far by the two major political parties.
“It’s pleasing to see both major parties placing construction and infrastructure at the centre of their economic agendas, supported by a number of recent Federal Government Budget announcements,” he said.
The CCAA has also asked both parties to develop a cross-government construction materials strategy to streamline a policy approach for construction and infrastructure materials, and appointing a minister to oversee the strategy.
It is also urging the parties to support lower energy cost measures for manufacturers, support waste-to-energy programs in the cement sector and procurement models to encourage participants to deliver infrastructure projects.
For a full rundown on the CCAA’s policy priorities, visit the CCAA website.