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Gravel and Sand Quarrying in Australia - Market Research Report (2015-2030)

Ryan Tan Ryan Tan Melbourne, Australia Last Updated: January 2025 ANZSIC B0911

Revenue

$937.0m

2025-26

$974.5m

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XX.Xm

Employees

1,961

Businesses

328

Wages

$XXX.Xm

Gravel and Sand Quarrying in Australia industry analysis

State government initiatives have played a key role in the performance of gravel and sand quarrying operators in recent years. Victoria's state government established the Resources Victoria Approvals Coordination (RVAC) division to meet a booming population and housing demand. The RVAC unit streamlined and expedited the approval process for quarry expansion applications, leading to the expansion of operations like Holcim's Warrnambool and Oakland Junction quarries. Increased infrastructure spending, particularly on roads and bridges, has lifted the industry’s performance. Projects like the West Gate Tunnel in Melbourne and the Bruce Highway Upgrade in Queensland have notably contributed to this industry's growth. With sharp increases in silica sand prices, some quarrying operators have seen increased revenue and profitability despite recycled glass reducing demand from glass manufacturers. The industry is consolidating, with larger firms acquiring smaller quarries to enhance their market share and operational efficiency. Nonetheless, a high-interest rate environment and surging input costs have hampered residential construction activity over the past few years, negatively impacting demand for quarrying materials and curbing revenue and profitability gains. Industry revenue is expected to grow at an annualised 1.1% over the five years through 2024-25, to $937.0 million. This includes an anticipated uptick of 1.7% in the current year thanks to robust demand from infrastructure markets. 

Trends and Insights

  • Government initiatives and infrastructure spending have bolstered quarrying operators' performance. Specifically, Victoria's Resources Victoria Approvals Coordination division helped expedite quarry expansion plans and applications. Large-scale projects like the Bruce Highway Upgrade have also lifted demand for construction materials.
  • A decline in dwelling commencements is constraining demand from residential construction markets. Rising borrowing and construction costs are weighing on house construction.
  • Smaller quarries service their local geographic market. Gravel and sand’s low cost and high weight limits competition from operators in other regions.
  • Consolidation among larger players has weighed on industry participation. Larger players can protect their market share and benefit from vertical integration. Notable acquisitions include Seven Group Holdings' acquisition of Boral and CRH's acquisition of Adelaide Brighton in July 2024.

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  • Market estimates from 2015-2030
  • Critical performance data and rankings
  • Detailed analysis of competitive forces and the external environment
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 1.1 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $937.0m in 2025.

Trends and Insights

Infrastructure spending and state government initiatives have upheld quarrying operators' performance

  • Construction-related industries are the main markets for gravel and sand, with downstream changes in construction activity significantly affecting industry demand. Construction activity is heavily exposed to demand fluctuations from changes to broader economic factors, like consumer sentiment and business confidence, interest rates, unemployment and government expenditure on infrastructure and buildings.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Gravel and Sand Quarrying in Australia
Revenue (2015-2030)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2025-2030)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

State governments' initiatives and policies will stimulate industry expansion but public scrutiny will persist

  • Apart from establishing the RVAC division, Victoria's state government also introduced the Development Facilitation Program (DFP), designed to speed up project approval times. The RVAC division helped approve Aurora Construction Materials Group's Lang Lang Sands under the DFP, which will boost sand production volumes over the coming years.

Biggest companies in the Gravel and Sand Quarrying in Australia

Company
Market Share (%)
2025
Revenue ($m)
2025
Seven
212.4
Hanson Australia Holdings
168.4
Holcim Participants (Australia)
135.9

To view the market share and analysis for all 7 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Gravel and Sand Quarrying in Australia
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Specialty sand, Gravel and Fine sand. Specialty sand is the largest segment of the Gravel and Sand Quarrying in Australia.

Trends and Insights

Silica sand has benefited from price increases while new projects will support segment expansion

  • Silica sand is used to produce glass, glass products and solar panels. Its high silica content makes this sand ideal for heating to very high temperatures until it turns into a liquid and cools into glass.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Industry firms operate sand and gravel quarries. It includes businesses involved in quarrying, washing or screening sand and natural gravel. It also covers operations related to the gathering of ornamental rock.

What's included in this industry?

Specialty sandGravelFine sandConstruction sandDecorative pebblesSilica sand

Companies

SevenHanson Australia HoldingsHolcim Participants (Australia)

Purchase this report to view all 7 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

SANDGRAVELDECORATIVE PEBBLESQUARRYINGSCREENINGMENAGE SAND

Industry Code

ANZSIC 2006

ANZSIC 0911 - Gravel and Sand Quarrying in Australia

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Government initiatives and infrastructure spending have bolstered quarrying operators' performance. Specifically, Victoria's Resources Victoria Approvals Coordination divisio...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

A decline in dwelling commencements is constraining demand from residential construction markets. Rising borrowing and construction costs are weighing on house construction.

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets
  • International Trade

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2025
  • Product innovation level
  • Total imports, level and trend
  • Total exports, level and trend
  • Trade Balance

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2025
  • Major market segmentation in 2025
  • International trade, including imports by country and exports by country

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
  • Recent trends in import and export volumes, country of origin or destination, and expected future trends

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Smaller quarries service their local geographic market. Gravel and sand’s low cost and high weight limits competition from operators in other regions.

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2025
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Asia Pacific, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Consolidation among larger players has weighed on industry participation. Larger players can protect their market share and benefit from vertical integration. Notable acquisi...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

The industry has undergone some consolidation. Larger quarry operators have expanded through acquisitions, cementing their market share and diversifying to supply complimenta...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025
  • Overview of Seven's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of Hanson Australia Holdings's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of Holcim Participants (Australia)'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for 4 additional companies

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Seven, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Hanson Australia Holdings, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Holcim Participants (Australia), and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description, key data and performance trends for 4 additional companies

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Quarry operators in Victoria are benefiting from state government initiatives to boost production to meet housing and infrastructure needs. By streamlining project approvals ...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Technological advancements have helped inhibit purchase costs amid rising input prices. Using efficient machinery for extraction and processing has reduced operational costs,...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Gravel and Sand Quarrying industry in Australia in 2025?

The market size of the Gravel and Sand Quarrying industry in Australia is $937.0m in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Gravel and Sand Quarrying in Australia industry in 2025?

There are 328 businesses in the Gravel and Sand Quarrying industry in Australia, which has declined at a CAGR of 0.6 % between 2020 and 2025.

Has the Gravel and Sand Quarrying industry in Australia grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Gravel and Sand Quarrying industry in Australia has been growing at a CAGR of 1.1 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Gravel and Sand Quarrying industry in Australia over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Gravel and Sand Quarrying industry in Australia is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Gravel and Sand Quarrying market in Australia?

The biggest companies operating in the Gravel and Sand Quarrying market in Australia are Seven, Hanson Australia Holdings and Holcim Participants (Australia)

What does the Gravel and Sand Quarrying in Australia include?

Specialty sand and Gravel are part of the Gravel and Sand Quarrying industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Gravel and Sand Quarrying in Australia?

The company holding the most market share in Australia is Seven.

How competitive is the Gravel and Sand Quarrying industry in Australia?

The level of competition is moderate and steady in the Gravel and Sand Quarrying industry in Australia.

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Competitors

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Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in Australia include:

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics
  • Australian Taxation Office
  • Australian Securities & Investments Commission

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

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