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Adjournment Latrobe Valley Quarries

Extract from Parliamentary Debates

By Portal Admin - 18th February 2018 - Back to News

Question – Mr Northe to ask Minister for Resources

I personally thank you, Acting Speaker Pearson, for your support this afternoon.

My adjournment matter is to the Minister for Resources, and the action I seek is for the minister to urgently meet with Latrobe Valley-based quarry owners and managers to hear first-hand the challenges these quarries are facing to keep operating into the future. Unfortunately the resources sector within the Latrobe Valley has been well and truly kicked in the guts, with coal users being taxed through the roof and Hazelwood power station subsequently closing down in a short space of time. The timber industry likewise has been slammed, with the Carter Holt Harvey sawmill in Morwell also closing down, which has led to a shortage of timber supply impacting retailers, businesses and consumers.

In the two scenarios above we have seen little attempt to keep the doors of these businesses open, culminating in the loss of jobs, security of supply being under threat and higher costs for consumers.

Now we have the extraction material sector heading down the same path unless the government is prepared to seriously resolve issues plaguing this important industry — for example, in the Morwell electorate we have many quarries, including Matthews Quarries, Latrobe Valley Blue Metal and Latrobe Valley Sands, which are critical not only to the local economy but also to that of our state for the purposes of the construction of roads, bridges, hospitals, home, rail and other infrastructure projects. However, all these quarries I have just mentioned have a somewhat limited life, and despite endeavours by the same to either acquire an unused quarry, expand an existing quarry or even establish a new quarry, this has all been severely compromised by a lack of common sense, a lack of departmental staff and a wall of non-practical and onerous red and green tape.

This is in addition to the fact that the government's own department has been non-compliant in meeting statutory time frames with some applications and invariably legal issues that present themselves at VCAT. All of these factors equal massive delays and significant costs to these businesses and the industry more broadly.

I know the Treasurer loves to spruik the building of transport infrastructure that is occurring in Victoria, and that is great. It is all good and well, but I do implore the Treasurer in his capacity as the Minister for Resources to fix the problems that are occurring in the quarry industry, otherwise we will without a doubt see a loss of jobs. We will see higher costs for consumers, and we will see material in a short space of time having to be imported from interstate. And what a joke that would be.

The Construction Materials Processors Association — the CMPA — recently noted:

The industry is deeply concerned that the rate of consumption of these materials is rapidly outstripping supply and future availability. Current data confirms there are insufficient new or extended quarry reserves being made available for extraction.

Disruption to the construction industry supply chain is inevitable, unless the issue is promptly addressed by government.

That says it all. I ask the minister to urgently meet with quarry owners within the Latrobe Valley.

Answer – Minister for Resources response to Mr Northe Ministers Response – Mr Tim Pallas

The Victorian Government has undertaken a strategic review of the state's quarrying sector, with the release of the Extractive Resources Demand and Supply Study to 2050. The study is the first of its type and highlights the extractive resource areas of strategic importance to Victoria, including those in the Latrobe Valley and the greater Gippsland area. The study was overseen by the joint government-industry Extractive Industries Taskforce.

The Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources is now undertaking a strategic resource and land-use planning program with two councils, including South Gippsland Shire Council, with the aim to secure high quality extractive resources. This pilot project includes geoscience investigations, assessment of the existing landscape and community engagement.

The Commissioner for Better Regulation recently undertook a review of the regulation of mines and quarries and final report was released on 20 December 2017. Actions arising from the Commissioner's report will reduce the time taken for operators to obtain approval for new or expansions to quarries.

The Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources is also developing an Extractive Resources Strategy to help ensure that high-quality extractive resources, such as those in the Latrobe City Council, continue to be available at a competitive price to support our growth and infrastructure needs.

My office, department and myself meet frequently with representatives and operators in the quarry sector, including the Construction Material Processors Association and Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: support@gippsland.com