In this edition of Helping Victoria Grow, we are pleased to introduce the new Minister for Resources,  Jaala Pulford MP.

I am delighted to introduce this newsletter for the first time — the first of what I hope will be many as Minister for Resources. As a previous Minister for the Regional Development and Minister for Roads, I understand the important contribution quarries make to Victoria’s regional economies, infrastructure improvements and communities.

The government’s record infrastructure investment is creating unprecedented demand for quarry materials and ongoing supply is critical to support the Big Build.

You are meeting this challenge — quarry production topping sixty-three million tonnes of sand, rock and gravel in 2019-20. This a great achievement and something you should all be proud of.

As Minister for Resources, I am pleased that the Victorian Government will continue to support your industry into the future, so that you can deliver the materials needed for our communities to develop and thrive.

We will continue to streamline the approval process for new and expanding quarries, increase the number of Strategic Extractive Resource Areas (SERA) and plan for where the sector needs to be through the Extractives Resources Strategy – Helping Victoria Grow.

Together, we will continue to deliver for all Victorians - creating more jobs and delivering more materials so that our great state can continue to grow.

Hon Jaala Pulford MP

Minister for Resources

We are working with our colleagues in the Biodiversity Division at the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) to develop a strategic approach for industry to reduce time and financial costs of meeting native vegetation offset obligations without compromising biodiversity outcomes. Initial consultation has occurred with some Extractive industry operators with more to come in December 2021.

The Extractives Strategy Taskforce will review issues, options and potential solutions early in the new year and further information will be available on the approach after that.

Lidar Mapping

The Geological Survey of Victoria in collaboration with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning’s Co-ordinated Imagery Program is improving mapping for the Geelong-Ballarat project area.

LiDAR uses light to make rapid and high accuracy measurements of the distance between the light’s point of origin and other surfaces. LiDAR data is used to generate highly detailed 3D models of the landscape. This contributes to the Extractive Resources Strategy’s priority actions, particularly as an input into the Strategic Extractive Resource Areas program.

View more about the Victorian Coordinated Imagery Program

A Lidar factsheet is also available.

Planning

Background investigations are underway for the next phase of the SERA program. These background investigations set out to compile data across strategic supply LGAs, including geoscience, demand and supply, environmental, community and cultural values. The background investigations will aid in decision making for the forward SERA program.