FEW South Africans realise the key role quarries play in their everyday lives and how crucial they are to the country by providing materials for shelter and infrastructure.
The surface mining industry association (ASPASA) shed light on each South African’s requirement for sand and aggregates that make up approximately three-quarters of the mass of traditional construction projects including roads, bridges, ports, railways, harbours, hospitals, public and private buildings, as well as our homes and other essential infrastructure.
On average, every South African needs approximately 9 kg of sand and stone per day, quarrying statistics reveal. This is to meet their daily needs for shelter and access to public infrastructure and translates to roughly three tonnes of aggregate usage per person per year.
It is tempting to see a quarry as an undesirable ‘hole in the ground’ as they are often located in or on the outskirts of towns. Yet, if quarries were located in rural areas, far away from neighborhoods, it would drive construction prices sky-high, as the pricing of aggregate is very sensitive to transport costs.
This means that quarries are here to stay, and ASPASA encourages the support of responsible quarries that comply with all relevant legislation and regulations, as well as upholding social and sustainability requirements. All ASPASA members are required to comply with these regulations and undergo annual safety, health and environmental audits to ensure compliance.
Members are also supported with regular training and workshops to constantly improve techniques to assist with minimising inconvenience to surrounding communities, rehabilitation of land after usage, waste management and many more initiatives to foster better relations with communities.
The sand and aggregate industry comprises some 573 registered operating quarries in South Africa. The name quarry is thought to be derived from the Latin word “quadraria” which describes earth excavation.
