IA - Supply and Demand / Infrastructure Delivery

Question

1. Has the Government undertaken any national supply and demand modelling for heavy construction materials to understand whether Australia has sufficient capacity to support this new infrastructure investment alongside existing housing, renewable energy, defence and transport infrastructure commitments? 2. If modelling has been undertaken: a) which departments or agencies conducted the work; b) what assumptions were made regarding cement, concrete, quarry materials and freight availability; and c) will the modelling be released publicly? 3. If no modelling has been undertaken, how can the Government be confident that shortages in heavy construction materials will not contribute to project delays, increased construction costs and reduced productivity outcomes? 4. Has the Government identified any regions where supply constraints for construction materials may delay federally funded projects? 5. Has the Government assessed whether environmental and planning approval timeframes are constraining access to construction materials needed for nationally significant infrastructure? 6. Does the Government consider heavy construction materials to be a sovereign capability issue given their importance to housing, defence, energy and transport infrastructure? 7. Has the Government considered developing a national Heavy Construction Materials Plan to support infrastructure delivery, housing affordability and productivity? 8. Has the Government completed any assessment of how increasing demand from renewable energy projects, housing construction and transport infrastructure may affect the availability and affordability of heavy construction materials? 9. What steps is the Commonwealth taking to support a resilient domestic supply chain for cement, concrete and quarry materials? 10. Has the Government assessed whether current infrastructure funding timelines appropriately account for potential material supply constraints and escalation pressures?

Answer

Please see attached PDF.

Documents

• Question with answer (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
• SQ26-000984.pdf (opens in a new tab)