The Victorian Government has introduced Strategic Extractive Resource Area (SERA) planning controls to help indicate the locations of existing quarry operations and potential future quarries needed for construction and infrastructure projects.
The SERAs, introduced in the growth corridors of Wyndham City and South Gippsland Shire, aim to identify and safeguard land with the highest potential to supply material to build Victoria’s future, considering the surrounding natural, cultural, and existing land uses, and supporting transport networks.
The SERA pilot areas were developed following community consultation and will help provide certainty for the community and industry by clearly identifying state significant quarry resources. The SERA planning controls will also help communities to better understand where future quarries might be. This will limit future issues due to homes being built close to extraction areas and operations.
Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia (CCAA) said the introduction of the SERAs will provide better support for the quarry sector, especially since demand for extractive resources in Victoria is expected to more than double from the 2015 levels by 2050.
As a result of the Government’s Big Build infrastructure program and housing financial stimulus packages, there is an increased demand for quarry materials which is driving depletion of existing resources. This reinforces the need to replace depleted resources with new supply.
Brian Hauser, CCAA State Director VIC/TAS, said: “CCAA’s advocacy over many years has been key to securing these planning reforms. They are a significant step forward in Victoria taking a strategic and long-term view around protection of critical sand and stone resources for our future.”
Although he added: “Unfortunately, Government approvals for new or expanding quarries are slow, expensive and uncertain and significant reform of the process is required to replenish the resources we’re all using to meet the increasing demand.”
“The construction sector, supported by a viable supply of quarry materials provides the engine for a construction led recovery to the COVID pandemic. These materials in ever stronger demand are the life blood’ of the recovery.”
New or expanding quarries will continue to require a quarry licence and planning approvals.
For more information on SERAs, visit here.