CMPA Project: Review of VCAT Decisions for the Extractive Industry

An open letter to all CMPA Members by DR ELIZABETH GIBSON, General Manager of CMPA.

CMPA is dedicated to the representation, advocacy and service of its Members in the Victorian earth resources extractive industry.

The purpose of CMPA is to ensure the continued presence of a viable broad spectrum of businesses that extract and process hard rock, gravel, sand, clay, lime, and soil.

CMPA members also operate recycling businesses. CMPA members are typically small to medium sized family and private businesses; local government; and utilities within Victoria. CMPA is well aware of the implications of continually increasing regulations to the industry.

At present, despite extensive advocacy, little attention by Government is being paid to industry concerns. As such, the CMPA is undertaking a research program to quantify and underpin industry
concerns, for example, the requirements for risk based Work Plans to include all management systems for your quarry to be made available to the public on the Earth Resources Regulator software
platform RRAMS.

The first project of the program will be to conduct a review of decisions made at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) on extractive industry applications. CMPA has concerns that there have been a number of adverse decisions for quarries in VCAT, this includes decisions in the quarry’s favour some of which may be accompanied by conditions that make the project commercially unviable. CMPA believes that it is necessary to take a proactive approach to ensure continued supply of construction material into the market and, hence, future economic growth in Victoria.

The research program will be funded from the CMPA Policy and Special Issues fund which consists of Gold Membership contributions made at time of Membership renewal. Thank you to
all Members who have made contributions in the past. Additionally, collective pooling of funds from all Members has resulted in the ability of the Association to further enhance its efforts and we are deeply appreciative of support given over the last 15 years or more and fully understand the responsibility placed on the CMPA Secretariat.

There will be regular updates on the VCAT Project to keep Members informed of progress. Additionally, if Members have been a party to VCAT and have either withdrawn or undergone successful mediation from 1 July 2009 to date the CMPA would be very interested in hearing about your experience.

Please contact Dr Elizabeth Gibson on 03 5781 0655.

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