Heidelberg Materials Pay Rates 2026: Quarry, Concrete & Driver Pay
What Heidelberg Materials workers should be paid in 2026 — the Cement, Lime and Quarrying Award floor by classification, casual loading, penalties, and where the Heidelberg Materials enterprise agreements sit.
Payroll & Compliance Editor · Registered BAS Agent, Cert IV Accounting & Bookkeeping
Who covers Heidelberg Materials (Hanson) workers — award or agreement?
Heidelberg Materials — trading in Australia under its former Hanson name in places and through its Hymix ready-mixed concrete brand — operates quarries, aggregate plants and concrete batching operations across the country, with a workforce of quarry operators, concrete agitator and tipper drivers, and plant staff.
Quarry and plant roles sit on the Cement, Lime and Quarrying Award 2020 floor, while agitator and tipper drivers moving material between sites fall under the Road Transport and Distribution Award 2020. Heidelberg Materials/Hanson has a large number of enterprise agreements registered in our corpus, covering individual quarries and regions (listed below where one applies to your site); each has to leave staff better off overall than whichever award covers the role.
The federal awards relevant to Heidelberg Materials (Hanson) roles:
- Cement, Lime and Quarrying Award 2020 (MA000055)
- Road Transport and Distribution Award 2020 (MA000038)
Workforce snapshot. In its 2024-25 report to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, Hanson Australia (Holdings) Proprietary Limited declared 3,500 employees across 6 reporting entities — 5.9% casual and 14.5% women. Source: WGEA 2025 Public Data File, data.gov.au (CC-BY 3.0 AU).
Cement, lime and quarrying award floor (1 July 2026)
The Cement, Lime and Quarrying Award 2020 (MA000055) has two classification streams — one graded 1–6, one levelled 1–7 — and your site's agreement or letter of engagement says which applies. The base hourly minimums (weekly ÷ 38) are:
| Classification | Permanent | Casual (incl. 25%) |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | $25.74/hr | $32.17/hr |
| Grade 2 | $26.44/hr | $33.05/hr |
| Grade 3 | $27.79/hr | $34.74/hr |
| Grade 4 | $28.59/hr | $35.74/hr |
| Grade 5 | $29.45/hr | $36.81/hr |
| Grade 6 | $30.36/hr | $37.95/hr |
| Level 1 | $25.74/hr | $32.17/hr |
| Level 2 | $26.71/hr | $33.39/hr |
| Level 3 | $27.52/hr | $34.40/hr |
| Level 4 | $28.06/hr | $35.07/hr |
| Level 5 | $28.60/hr | $35.75/hr |
| Level 6 | $29.45/hr | $36.81/hr |
| Level 7 | $30.36/hr | $37.95/hr |
The award also publishes an 'ordinary hourly' rate for each classification that folds in its industry allowance (roughly $0.90–$2.20/hr higher); the figures above are the base rates.
Source: Fair Work Commission modern awards pay database, current-operative rates (1 July 2026 annual wage review). Casual figures add the 25% casual loading.
Road transport award floor (1 July 2026)
Drivers sit on the Road Transport and Distribution Award 2020 (MA000038). The grade follows the biggest vehicle combination you're required to drive:
| Classification | Permanent | Casual (incl. 25%) |
|---|---|---|
| Transport Worker Grade 1 (courier/van, light rigid) | $26.87/hr | $33.59/hr |
| Transport Worker Grade 2 (rigid over 4.5t, forklift) | $27.51/hr | $34.39/hr |
| Transport Worker Grade 3 (heavy rigid) | $27.83/hr | $34.79/hr |
| Transport Worker Grade 4 (semi-trailer/heavy combination) | $28.32/hr | $35.40/hr |
| Transport Worker Grade 5 (B-double) | $28.67/hr | $35.84/hr |
| Transport Worker Grade 6 (road train) | $29.00/hr | $36.25/hr |
| Transport Worker Grade 7 (double road train / specialist) | $29.42/hr | $36.78/hr |
| Transport Worker Grade 8 | $30.28/hr | $37.85/hr |
| Transport Worker Grade 9 | $30.78/hr | $38.48/hr |
| Transport Worker Grade 10 | $31.55/hr | $39.44/hr |
If you regularly drive a bigger combination than your grade pays for, that is a classification underpayment. Overtime, night and weekend loadings apply on top.
Source: Fair Work Commission modern awards pay database, current-operative rates (1 July 2026 annual wage review). Casual figures add the 25% casual loading.
The Heidelberg Materials (Hanson) enterprise agreements
Enterprise agreements set rates above the award, with their own classification structures and allowances. Current Heidelberg Materials (Hanson) agreements in our corpus (38 in total):
- Heidelberg Materials Pty Ltd WA Sand Operations Agreement 2025 — approved May 2026, nominal expiry 9 November 2029.
- Heidelberg Materials Australia Pty Ltd SA Plant Supervisors' Agreement 2025 — approved March 2026, nominal expiry 1 October 2029.
- Heidelberg Materials Australia Pty Ltd Western Australian Country Quarries Enterprise Agreement 2025 — approved February 2026, nominal expiry 1 October 2028.
- Heidelberg Materials Australia Pty Ltd Eastern Region - Metro Concrete Drivers Enterprise Agreement 2025 — approved February 2026, nominal expiry 30 September 2028.
- Heidelberg Materials Eastern Region Technical Operations Enterprise Agreement 2025 — approved August 2025, nominal expiry 30 June 2028.
- Heidelberg Materials Bass Point Quarry Enterprise Agreement 2025 — approved June 2025, nominal expiry 17 April 2028.
- Heidelberg Materials Bass Point Quarry Enterprise Agreement 2025 — approved June 2025, nominal expiry 17 April 2028.
- Hanson Construction Materials Pty Ltd Eastern Region – NSW Country Batchers’ Enterprise Agreement 2024 — approved April 2024, nominal expiry 1 March 2028.
Plus 30 more — search "Heidelberg Materials (Hanson)" in our agreements database.
We don't reproduce agreement dollar figures here — the agreement covering your site, state and stream is the document to read. Find your agreement, then your classification, then your pay point, and compare it with your payslip. The award tables on this page are the floor every one of these agreements must beat.
Common construction materials pay issues at Heidelberg Materials (Hanson)
The patterns worth checking on a Heidelberg Materials (Hanson) payslip:
- Wrong C-level for the skills and qualifications actually used.
- Shift and overtime loadings absorbed into flat rates.
- Unpaid pre-start, PPE and handover time.
- Labour-hire pay gaps against directly employed staff doing the same job.
What to do if your pay looks wrong
Match your payslip to your classification in the agreement (or the award tables above), and price any gap with our back-pay calculator. Raise it in writing with payroll or your manager first — most underpayments are fixed at that step. Unresolved, the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) recovers underpayments at no cost, up to six years back, and your union can run the claim for you. Not sure which instrument covers you? Ask our AI advisor with your role and location.
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Official resources
General information and estimates only — not legal, financial or tax advice. Always check your specific award, agreement or contract, or a qualified professional, before you rely on the result.
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Six years running payroll for a Western Sydney commercial builder before moving to compliance writing and contract payroll. Registered BAS Agent (TPB). Cert IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping. Writes about pay calculations, superannuation, and the 2026 Payday Super rollout. Based in Cabramatta, Sydney.