Quarry materials, or extractive resources, include sand, gravel, quarry rock, clay and soil. These are high-volume, low-value products. Whether an extractive industry can be developed economically often depends on its proximity to markets, especially those in growing urban areas.

Because of their economic importance to the state, significant extractive resources must be protected from development that could impact on their long-term availability.

The Key Resource Area (KRA) concept is a planning tool designed to protect resources from being rendered inaccessible by urban expansion.

KRAs are designed to maintain adequate separation distances between sensitive uses and any future extractive industry. Any development proposal within a KRA is assessed to ensure that existing or future extractive industries cannot be significantly affected by the encroachment of sensitive uses.

By using the KRA concept, supplies of vital construction materials located close to market remain available for development when needed.

There are seven (7) hard rock KRAs on the Gold Coast, of which one (KRA 69 at Stapylton) is now depleted, and one (Reedy Creek KRA 96, which hosts the Project site in the Southern Gold Coast) is yet to be developed.