Cement, Concrete & Aggregates Australia (CCAA) has called on the federal government to support a suite of reforms to strengthen freight efficiency, maintain access to vital construction materials, and accelerate decarbonisation across the sector.
In its 2026–27 Pre-Budget Submission, the industry association outlined 14 key reforms designed to “lift productivity through heavy vehicle, freight and planning reform” while “supporting emissions reduction through modernised standards, procurement and targeted industry incentives”.
CCAA Chief Executive Officer Michael Kilgariff said the proposals were essential to meeting Australia’s growing demand for housing and infrastructure.
“Australia cannot build more homes or deliver major infrastructure without reliable access to cement, concrete and aggregates,” Kilgariff said.
“Our submission makes it clear that productivity is being constrained by slow heavy vehicle access, fragmented planning systems and growing barriers to quarry and batching plant approvals.”
Central to CCAA’s submission is a call for improved heavy vehicle access, including broader use of Performance-Based Standards (PBS) vehicles and a fully implemented National Automated Access System (NAAS) to streamline freight operations across jurisdictions.
The group is also urging progress on a usage-based heavy vehicle charging model to replace falling fuel excise revenue.
Kilgariff said these reforms would yield immediate benefits across the construction supply chain.
“Smarter freight access means fewer trips, safer roads and immediate productivity gains across the construction supply chain,” he said.
The association also flagged rising concerns about planning delays and urban development, which it claims is threatening the long-term viability of local quarries and concrete batching plants.
“When essential materials are forced further from where they are needed, costs rise, congestion increases and emissions go up,” Kilgariff said.
As governments push toward lower-emission construction, the industry body is advocating for performance-based Australian Standards and greater integration of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).
Aligning national funding criteria with embodied-carbon measurement frameworks would, the submission argues, give clarity and consistency to both public and private projects.
To further accelerate decarbonisation, CCAA proposes introducing a time-limited “production credit for low-carbon concrete,” echoing the design of the existing Green Aluminium Production Credit.
The credit would encourage early investment in low-emissions technologies and help the industry scale new production methods.
“These are practical, near-term actions that allow industry to invest with confidence while delivering real emissions reductions,” Kilgariff said.
The CCAA’s submission positions the construction materials sector as central to achieving national housing and infrastructure targets.
