- Consult Australia's 2026 Market Conditions Report found pipeline uncertainty is the biggest challenge for Australia's technical consulting industry, with 78% of businesses citing it as the main factor affecting capacity.
- The heavy construction materials industry contributes $20.7 billion to Australia's GDP and supports nearly 113,000 jobs, supplying essential materials for housing, transport, energy, water and community infrastructure.
- CCAA CEO Michael Kilgariff warned that heavy construction materials cannot be rapidly scaled up, as developing quarries, concrete plants and cement manufacturing requires years of planning, investment and regulatory approvals.
- Project delays and reprioritisation make it harder for industry to invest in new production capacity, freight networks and workforce capability, increasing the risk of supply constraints, higher costs and delivery delays.
- CCAA is calling on governments to develop Heavy Construction Materials Plans that align projected infrastructure demand with long-term supply planning, treating materials planning as an essential component of infrastructure delivery.
Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia (CCAA) says the findings of Consult Australia's 2026 Market Conditions Report reinforce the need for governments to provide greater certainty around Australia's infrastructure pipeline and better align future demand for heavy construction materials with long-term supply planning.
The report found pipeline uncertainty remains the single biggest challenge facing Australia's technical consulting industry, with 78 per cent of surveyed businesses identifying it as the main factor affecting capacity and 70 per cent nominating it as the industry's biggest challenge over the past year. Procurement delays, rising business costs and increasing project risk also continue to weigh on confidence and investment.
The heavy construction materials industry contributes $20.7 billion to Australia's GDP and supports 112,970 jobs, supplying the cement, concrete and aggregates needed to build the nation's housing, transport, energy, water and community infrastructure.
"Our industry sits at the beginning of every major construction project, so certainty in the infrastructure pipeline is critical to ensuring the right materials are available where and when they are needed,” CCAA CEO Michael Kilgariff said.
"Heavy construction materials cannot simply be switched on overnight. Developing new quarries, concrete plants and cement manufacturing capacity requires years of planning, investment and regulatory approvals."
Mr Kilgariff said governments need to consider not only what infrastructure will be built, but also how the materials required to deliver it will be supplied.
"Australia cannot meet its housing and infrastructure ambitions unless future demand for heavy construction materials is matched with future supply,” he said.
"When projects are delayed, reprioritised or lack long-term certainty, it becomes much harder for industry to invest in new production capacity, transport networks and workforce capability. That increases the risk of supply constraints, higher project costs and delivery delays."
CCAA has consistently advocated for Heavy Construction Materials Plans that align projected infrastructure demand with long-term planning for construction material resources, approvals, freight networks and investment.
"Strategic planning for heavy construction materials should be considered an essential part of infrastructure planning. Governments need confidence that the materials required to deliver major projects will be available over coming decades—not just when construction begins."
"Providing greater visibility of the infrastructure pipeline and aligning it with long-term heavy construction materials planning will support investment, strengthen supply chains and help Australia deliver the homes and infrastructure our communities need."
About us:
About CCAA
CCAA is the voice of Australia’s heavy construction materials industry, an industry that contributes $20.7 billion to GDP and supports 112,970 jobs nationwide. CCAA members produce most of Australia's cement, concrete and aggregates, which are essential to the nation’s building and construction sectors.
Contact details:
Contact: Mitch Itter, Manager Communications | 0431 542 660 | [email protected]