Northern Ireland’s Quarry Products Industry Shared Priorities for Sustainable Development

Quarry Production Association NI The trade association for companies involved in supplying crushed rock and sand and gravel, asphalt, ready-mixed concrete, agricultural lime, industrial lime, mortar, recycled materials and construction and quarrying plant. Represent: 81 Quarry Products Companies 29 Affiliate Members 3Associate Members QPANI is affiliated to Minerals Products Association and European Aggregates Association (EUPG). Staff: Gordon BestLaverne BellFiona Taggart Regional Director Environment & PlanningOffice Manager

Aggregate Quarries in NI

NI Primary Aggregate Production

Aggregate production by area/ type Sand & gravel Hard rock

Aggregates are essential for development of the economy and for maintaining our lifestyle but… Extraction, processing and transport creates significant environmental and social impact; aggregates operations can be very contentious; issues related to extraction often divisive and politically sensitive; debate is often ill-informed. Aggregates and Society

Minerals & Society The Approx Aggregate required in a person’s lifetime… 840 tonnes of hard rock 247 tonnes of Sand and gravel 42 tonnes of agricultural lime 95 tonnes of asphalt 329 tonnes of concrete

Local Stone for Local Use Typical pattern of supply in N Ireland is that stone is used within 10km - 15km of the quarry Added-value products (such as concrete blocks) may travel further

Aggregate Production

North West Region Total aggregate value £17,000,000 Estimated turnover of companies involved in cement, concrete, asphalt and aggregate production. £60 million

North West Region QPANI MEMBER COMPANIES and numbers directly employed P Bradley Kilrea 60 Whitemountain Quarries 80 Armoy Homes 10 W J Chambers & Son 55 Northstone 80 Ardmore Concrete 10 B Mullan & Sons 40 G & G Ross Ballycastle Quarry 10 AS Ballentines 18 Dermot Harley & Son 10 Devine Sand & Gravel 10 Supermix 15 Cemex 20 W & J Taggarts 12 Riddle Brothers 10 Tyrone Sand & Gravel 10 Total - 450

Key Priorities Protection of Jobs Investment in Infrastructure Skills of our young people

Key actions required More efficient planning system. Securing Aggregates Levy Rebate from the EU after Reduce energy costs. High priority given to development and maintenance of the roads network and other infrastructure such as schools and hospitals. More engagement between schools, Further Education and industry. Industry and political representatives working together to seek solutions and secure inward investment.

Imminent threat Possible Removal of the Northern Aggregate Levy Derogation that would mean an increase in levy from 40p per tonne to £2.00 per tonne. Resulting in; Border quarries becoming uncompetitive. Loss of jobs. Risk of significant environmental damage. Increase in the black market.

The importance of the construction industry The construction industry is the dynamo of the economy in Northern Ireland. Every £1 invested in construction generates £2.84 in economic activity. Other business sectors rely heavily on a buoyant construction sector. The construction industry is labour intensive. Pound for pound the construction sector provides more jobs than many other industrial sectors. particularly in rural areas. The construction industry builds and maintains our schools, hospitals, social housing and roads and water networks. This work has an enormous impact on the quality of public service delivery.

The importance of the construction industry The construction industry builds the infrastructure which determines the long term economic performance of Northern Ireland. The construction industry plays a central role in reducing carbon emissions and reducing fuel poverty in Northern Ireland. This is achieved by upgrading existing buildings and ensuring that new buildings are thermally efficient. The vast majority of construction expenditure is reinvested within the local economy.

10 actions the NI Executive can take to help the construction industry revitalise the wider economy Step 1 – Make investment in the building and maintenance of our infrastructure a top priority. Step 2 – Provide assistance to construction companies that are seeking to win work abroad. Step 3 – Change the status of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive so that it can borrow funds against its existing housing stock which is valued at over £3bn. Step 4 – Implement fully and urgently the recommendations in the Review of Planning. Step 5 – Continue to try and improve the availability of reasonable lending facilities to local companies.

10 actions Step 6 – Use private finance to deliver infrastructure projects where value for money has been clearly established. Step 7 – Ring fence revenue generated through water charging to reinvest in infrastructure. Step 8 – Incentivise and facilitate the speedy retrofitting of the existing housing stock to improve energy performance and reduce fuel poverty. Step 9 – Implement the industry proposals for fully employed construction apprenticeships. Step 10 – Continue the good work to reduce the regulatory burden on local business as part of the Better Regulation Programme.

The results of taking these actions Northern Ireland would recover from recession more quickly. Northern Ireland would become a more attractive place for foreign investment. The Northern Irish economy would be better positioned to rebalance the public/private split. Construction companies would have a solid base of work in Northern Ireland that would allow them to expand into other markets. This would result in foreign investment benefiting the Northern Ireland economy. Job losses in the construction industry would be halted and the number of ex-construction workers claiming unemployment benefit would fall. Jobs would be saved in other sectors that depend on construction activity.

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