The Victorian Government has unveiled new measures to secure the supply of raw materials needed to build homes and infrastructure across Victoria, as demand continues to surge across the state.
In a joint announcement, minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio and minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny launched the Extractive Resources Joint Ministerial Statement 2025, a key initiative designed to accelerate investment in Victoria’s quarry sector and help ensure the sustainable supply of construction materials well into the future.
“We’re making sure our quarries can keep delivering the materials needed to build and upgrade housing, hospitals, schools, infrastructure, roads and renewable energy projects,” D’Ambrosio said.
The Statement outlines a series of reforms aimed at streamlining quarry approval processes, reducing red tape, and improving coordination across government departments. These reforms will help deliver faster planning decisions and give industry greater confidence to invest.
Unlike other growing states, Victoria’s average quarry approval times are now 40 per cent faster than in previous years. The latest reforms are expected to cut delays even further.
The Strategic Extractive Resources Areas will guide where new quarries can be developed. This measure is intended to give communities more clarity and certainty about future quarry locations, while helping to ensure materials are extracted close to where they are needed.
“By getting quarry approvals moving faster, cutting unnecessary delays, and giving industry more certainty to invest – we can keep delivering the homes and infrastructure our growing state needs,” Kilkenny said.
A typical small home requires at least 250 tonnes of rock and sand, highlighting the importance of a stable quarry supply chain. With the state’s housing and infrastructure sectors under pressure, the quarry industry is required to meet long-term demand.
Investments in infrastructure are also driving the need for raw materials, including projects to build new schools, hospitals and transport networks.