At present, local governments are accelerating the construction of major projects in accordance with the requirements of the central government to stabilize the economic market and expand effective investment.

Aggregates materials are the most basic raw materials for engineering construction, and the guarantee of the supply of aggregates has become a major task for natural resource management departments at all levels.

In order to fully implement the requirements of the central government and support the construction of major infrastructure projects, 2023 On April 19, 2019, the Ministry of Natural Resources issued the "Notice on Regulating and Improving the Management of Aggregates Mining" (hereinafter referred to as “the Notice”). The Notice requires natural resource management departments to focus on market demand, and comprehensively consider the requirements of resource security, permitting, and ecological protection of quarries to promote high-quality development of aggregates resources.

The Notice guides the local governments to improve the supply capacity of the aggregates resource market in the whole process from the aspects of scientific planning, mining rights transfer, green development, and interim and post-event supervision. The Notice supports the effective promotion of major infrastructure construction projects, and supports the accelerated construction of a modern infrastructure system. At the same time, in view of the problems existing in the mining of sand and gravel resources, relevant requirements for standardized management are further put forward.

Abstract of the Notice’s content

Delineate areas of concentrated aggregates mining areas and mining planning, reasonably guide the release of aggregates mining rights, and realize green development, intensive mining, system repair, and full life cycle management of aggregates resources.

Actively implement the net assignment of mines, and relevant departments should clarify the relevant requirements for the handling of mine-related procedures to avoid subsequent prohibitive obstacles.

Within the specified scope, the sand and gravel produced by the construction of the project can be directly used in the construction of the project without applying for a mining license. It is strictly forbidden to expand the scope of work areas without authorization to excavate sand and gravel, and to sell or dispose of sand and gravel used in project construction without authorization.

Strengthen the daily supervision and law enforcement of aggregates resources, strictly investigate and deal with illegal mining, cross-border mining, and destructive mining in accordance with laws and regulations, especially illegal mining in the name of various projects.

The person in charge of the Mining Rights Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources pointed out that although local governments have successively promoted the issuance of aggregates mining rights, there is still a large gap with market demand, and the contradiction between supply and demand of aggregates in some areas is prominent.

According to China Aggregates Association, a considerable part of the reason is that the market is flooded with illegal aggregates mining in some areas, and the phenomenon of "bad money driving out good money" occurs from time to time. Aggregates mines have the characteristics of wide distribution, easy mining, quick production, and short cycle. Rapid mining forms a supply market for building materials, which can alleviate the contradiction between supply and demand. In order to ensure that mining right holders can smoothly go through relevant procedures related to mining and start production, local governments need to prevent prohibitive obstacles from government department’s levels at the early stage.

The "Notice" clarifies the policy requirements in the current aggregates mining process, such as unreasonable planning, illegal aggregates mining in various names, dredging of sea sand, and difficulties in settlement of mining rights, which greatly standardizes and improves aggregates mining management. It is a milestone document to promote the high-quality development of the aggregates industry.