About the Aggregate and Quarry Association

While sourcing materials for buildings and roads would have been one of the vital first missions for New Zealand’s early settlers, it was only forty years ago the companies involved in extracting and supplying gravel and allied materials formed the Aggregate and Quarry Association of New Zealand - the AQA.  It is the national body representing 85% of the companies involved in New Zealand’s quarrying industry that produces nearly 50 million tonnes of aggregates and allied raw materials such as limestone.

The AQA was formed in response to the need for an industry group that could represent aggregate suppliers on a range of issues, as well as liaise with specifiers and end users of the materials.

The AQA's technical and planning committees are well respected throughout the contracting industry and both include committee members from the wider industry representing robust co-operation and alliance.

Training, education, planning for new and the rehabilitation of old quarries and associated environmental and sustainability issues are key concerns of the AQA. 

Rock is the foundation for us all, it is the base product for our everyday lives for housing, schools, drains, roads and motorways, and all major and minor construction like bridges, hospitals and city buildings. But though aggregate is fundamental to New Zealand’s infrastructure it is an industry that has to fight for its right to produce raw materials and one of AQA’s major concerns is to provide an ongoing supply of raw materials at the lowest price possible – and that means close to the end work site.

Central Government passes responsibility for deciding on access to such resources to local authorities and there is no requirement for local bodies to consider the importance of providing for proximate (nearby) access to aggregate sources. This is becoming an increasingly important issue as the cost of transport continues to rise.

Locally sourced aggregate is the most cost-effective. While aggregates are low value relative to weight, increasing the distance over which they are transported from quarry to construction site adds significantly to costs.

There is no shortage of aggregate anywhere, even in Auckland.  But unfortunately councils run shy of renewing quarry permits, let alone allowing new ones, so raw material needed for development is often transported over many miles.  The AQA’s objective is for government, councils and their communities to have a requirement in every town plan that designates areas for aggregate production.

New Zealanders, and their ambitions for New Zealand, need aggregate – lots of it – but they think quarries will bring aggravation, especially in urban or semi-urban areas.

Unfortunately, this is a view that most local authorities fail to challenge, even though quarries are not the noisy and dirty neighbours that many people perceive. Most quarries carefully monitor the quality of their water and air. The quarrying industry faces some of the most stringent environmental control regimes of any industry. It recognises and celebrates excellence in environmental performance and is constantly seeking improvements.

The AQA is an incorporated society, with councillors elected from member companies around New Zealand. The AQA's Executive Director is based in Wellington.

Download a copy of "Aggregate Facts"

Download a copy of "Economic Analysis of the Quarrying & Aggregate Production Industry"

Download a copy of "Foundations for our Future"

AQA Terms of Reference/Constitution

Download

See our Publications section for further reading.