National demand for cement in 2011 is similar to 2010, while demand for concrete products remains weak due to soft housing and retail activity, the company reported.
Excluding a temporary shutdown of a major lime customer in the Northern Territory in the fiscal first half, full-year lime sales will be about the same this year as last, Chief Executive Mark Chellew said in a statement.
Australia’s concrete market peaked in mid-2008 after seven years of growth and has suffered a 15% downturn over the past 18 months, he said.
The concrete market is expected to remain flat in 2012 "with some risk to the downside," he said.
