Your CMPA Secretariat

It is with much regret that I announce the resignation of Gavin Moreira from the 9 April 2025. Gavin and the CMPA have grown together over the last 16 years. Commencing as the Administration Officer with a background in accounts and then after 4 years, into the position of Member Services Manager. This expanded role required the immersion of Gavin into all things concerning construction material processing: from CMPA Member site visits; liaising with WorkSafe through the Earth Resources Tripartite Safety Forum to being the go-to contact for the Associates Members and the Associate Member Committee.

He has been the driving force behind events management for the Annual Dinners together with numerous workshops, General Meetings and webinars etc. (backed up by the very capable April Everitt). The events were managed meticulously.

His attention to detail has enabled the high-quality delivery of publications including the CMPA magazine Sand & Stone. Gavin’s engaging and friendly manner contributed to the congenial atmosphere in the office and ensured the success of the Secretariate in achieving positive outcomes for CMPA Members. He was a great support.

I wish Gavin every success in his new role and that the future is bright for him and his family.

On other news Resources Victoria is in the process of producing a Regulatory Impact Statement for the proposed increase in annual fees as set out in the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) (Extractive Industries) Regulations (2019) which are for cost recovery for the Earth Resources Regulator (ERR).

The increase in fees is said to be significant. These cost recovery fees were introduced in 2014 and, at the time, CMPA was greatly concerned that the onus was on smaller operators to pay a greater proportion of the fees compared to their production tonnages than larger quarries. The CMPA will be strongly advocating (again) for a fairer outcome for small to medium quarries.

Any increase in fees needs to be justified through improved performance of ERR. The article in this magazine (page 18) on ERR’s quarterly performance is a step forward and allows the opportunity for some transparency. However, there are areas within ERR that are negatively impacting the extractive industries such as approvals and rehabilitation bonds.
I recently had some visitors who have a quarry producing 1.3 million tonnes per annum in India and were looking to invest in an operation in Victoria. After discussions, including with Resources Victoria Approvals Coordination and a quarry site visit, they decided that it was not financially viable for them to invest in Victoria.

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