Resources Victoria Approvals Coordination
Demand for extractive resources is growing to unprecedented levels. Driven by major construction projects in Victoria’s ‘Big Build’ and more recently, the Housing Statement. State-wide demand for extractive materials is expected to increase to 79.5million tonnes by 2030, higher than the historical growth trend.
Competing land uses, changing community preferences and regulatory complexity are leading to uncertainty and delays for quarry approvals.
To help Victoria’s quarries keep up with increasing demand, a new division within Resources Victoria has been established to help operators access additional resources for development. This initiative was funded under the 2023-2024 State Budget and will be in place until 30 June 2025.
Resources Victoria Approvals Coordination (RVAC) will help ensure secure and affordable supply of quarry-based construction material by supporting quarry operators to obtain the necessary approvals for resource development.
RVAC builds on the successes of the previous Quarry Approvals Coordinator (QAC) initiative. During its eight month pilot phase, the QAC helped a targeted group of quarries unlock more than 40 million tonnes of additional resources, including sand for concrete production and hard rock for road construction and maintenance.
The strategic priority of quarry approvals is reflected in the elevated profile of RVAC, reporting directly to the CEO, Resources Victoria, and will be overseen by an Interdepartmental Committee of senior representatives from across government. The RVAC quarrying work stream is led by Tylah Drochmann, Manager, Quarry Approvals, who is responsible for liaising with quarry industry proponents to develop approvals opportunities. Tylah has 10 years’ experience in the quarrying industry and will be supported by a team experienced in the quarry industry supply chain and economics.
To continue to value-add beyond the scope of the QAC, RVAC has an expanded team and an expanded remit that considers more complex opportunities, including work plan variations.
RVAC has already engaged with several CMPA members to identify supply increase opportunities. To qualify for case management by the RVAC team, your opportunity should meet the following criteria:
• Resource type – The opportunity should unlock the type of resource that is at risk of shortfall, i.e., sand suitable for concrete production, and hard rock suitable for use as aggregates and road bases.
• Quantity – The quantity of additional reserve unlocked by the opportunity should be significant with respect to the quantity demanded.
• Proximity to market – The location of the opportunity should be within economic transport distance of major centres of demand, e.g., Metropolitan Melbourne and growth corridors in the North, West, Sunbury, South East regions and key regional areas.
• Complexity – The opportunity could be expected to be progressed in the short or medium term. Minor variations and work plan variations are in scope.
• Time to market – Opportunities at sites with a shorter quarry life remaining where material will be brought to market sooner will be prioritised.
• Proponent readiness – Opportunities with committed human/financial resources to deliver in the funded time for RVAC will be prioritised.
• Reputation – The operation associated with the opportunity should have a demonstrated history of regulatory compliance.
Alongside its core functions, RVAC is also working closely with the Department of Transport and Planning on important initiatives to get more quarry materials to market sooner. This includes collaborative work on the criteria for economically significant developments under Victorian planning provision clause 53.22.
Furthermore, RVAC continues to play a critical role in the government’s ongoing emergency flood response, by facilitating Victorian planning provision amendment VC247 on 6 October 2023. This amendment enables quarries supplying materials for road construction and maintenance to apply for a temporary extension of operating hours to assist in the state’s flood recovery efforts for 24 months from the date of an emergency event.
At the end of the two-year operational period, RVAC and its achievements will be evaluated to inform potential further improvements to the way quarry approvals processes are managed.
If you would like further information about RVAC or have a supply increase opportunity at your quarry that you would like to discuss, please contact Tylah Drochmann at tylah.drochmann@deeca.vic.gov.au.
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