Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia (CCAA) has welcomed findings from the Productivity Commission’s 2025 National Competition Policy analysis, saying the report highlights significant opportunities to improve productivity and regulatory coherence across Australia’s construction supply chain.
CCAA chief executive officer Michael Kilgariff said the report’s focus on modernising standards and regulatory fragmentation could deliver economic benefits while supporting innovation and sustainability in materials production.
“The Productivity Commission has clearly identified that construction is a high-value area for standards reform, and that better alignment across jurisdictions can deliver significant economic benefits while supporting innovation,” Kilgariff said.
“It is encouraging to see the final report reflect many of the principles outlined in CCAA’s submission, particularly the need to modernise standards, reduce regulatory fragmentation, and avoid unnecessary barriers to productivity and decarbonisation.”
The Commissions’ report identifies construction and manufacturing as priority sectors for reform, which Kilgariff said many of the report’s recommendations align with issues that have been raised in the CCAA’s submission to the inquiry.
Kilgariff said that the CCAA welcomes the Product Commission’s continued focus on road user charging and heavy vehicle reforms, as it’s particularly important for the heavy construction materials industry given the freight-intensive nature of cement, concrete, and aggregates supply.
“A sustainable, nationally consistent approach to road user charging is essential to ensure Australia can continue to fund, maintain and expand the road network that underpins construction, housing and infrastructure delivery,” Kilgariff said.
“This is critical for heavy construction materials, where the freight task is among the largest in Australia, accounting for around 39 per cent of national road-freight tonnage and 21 per cent of tonne-kilometres. CCAA has consistently advocated for a nationally coordinated model based on mass, distance, and location, which would support productivity and safety outcomes for heavy vehicles while providing a stable and equitable funding base for roads as the vehicle fleet decarbonises.”
