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2022 - Another big year for the extractives sector
Welcome to the first Extractives Newsletter for 2022 and it’s shaping up to be another big year for the sector.
Victoria’s extractive resources are the key ingredient in the massive infrastructure and construction projects currently being delivered in Victoria.
Victoria’s sand, stone, gravel, and other materials are the building blocks for new and improved schools, hospitals, and transports networks.
There’ll be plenty of work happening in the sector across 2022, which we’ll be highlighting in this regular newsletter.
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Quarry Transformation Grants are now live!
This morning the Minister for Resources, Jaala Pulford MLC announced that applications will open today for Quarry Transformation Grants.
These grants will help working quarries plan for a positive legacy that gives the local community maximum benefit by providing opportunities to develop and test ideas and options for repurposing the land after quarrying stops.
We are looking for quarry site rehabilitation ideas that go beyond the safe and stable and sustainable minimum requirements under the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990.
Innovative ideas for quarry end land use may include projects and initiatives that provide ongoing local community access and critical local services, generate employment opportunities, improve the liveability of an area and/or have a direct and tangible impact on surrounding land and property values.
The Victorian Government is committed to supporting industry in planning for and implementing innovative end land uses for quarries that are beneficial to the local community.
The Extractive Resources Strategy commits to:
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investigating the feasibility of different legacy opportunities for quarries; and
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developing innovative post-quarrying end land use for quarries.
Further information
Further information about the Quarry Transformation Grants (also known as the Innovative Quarry End Land Use Program) can be found at the Quarry Transformation Grants page and within the guidelines below.
Quarry Transformation Grants are being delivered with support from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.
Download the Quarry Transformation Grants Guidelines [DOCX].
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Victorian quarries continue to perform at record levels
The Victorian extractives industry continued to perform at record-high levels in the 2020-21 financial year, with the sector producing more than 60 million tonnes per annum for the fourth consecutive period. The quarry sector sustained these high output levels despite ongoing challenges of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
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Figure 1: FY20-21 extractive resources production by rock category
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Source: Earth Resources Regulation
Further information on the outlook for the demand and supply of extractives materials will be released in the upcoming 2020-21 Earth Resources Sector Indicators.
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Helping the extractives sector secure biodiversity offsets
The Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions continues to work collaboratively with colleagues in the Biodiversity Division at the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) to develop a strategic approach for industry to secure native vegetation offsets.
DELWP is currently developing options that will seek to:
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reduce the upfront cost barriers to operators
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deliver efficiencies and process improvements in securing of native vegetation offsets
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improve the quality of the publicly available information to assist industry and other stakeholders throughout the process
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deliver a strategic, whole of government approach which results in biodiversity benefits.
DELWP will engage with the industry over the coming weeks to finalise the options that will provide the greatest benefits to industry and develop an implementation plan to guide the delivery of the project.
If you have any questions or would like to provide feedback about the project, please contact Darcy Daniher, Senior Project Officer – Strategic Offsets, DELWP at darcy.daniher@delwp.vic.gov.au
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Extractive Industry Priority Project List Update
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The Extractive Industry Priority Project List identifies quarry projects that will be given priority planning consideration with the goal of halving current approval times from 18 months to 9 months.
To date, 13 Priority List quarry expansions have been approved and nine are in progress.
Fnd out more about the Extractive Industry Priority Project List.
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