What changed in July 2024, which materials are affected, and how to check the compliance paperwork before you pay a deposit.
If you have been specifying benchtops in Australia since 2024, you already know the ground shifted. A national prohibition on engineered stone took effect, and it changed what renovators, builders and designers can install. Here is what actually changed, what it covers, and what to ask for before you hand over a deposit.
What actually changed
From 1 July 2024 Australia introduced a national prohibition on the use, supply, manufacture and importation of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs. Every state and territory gave it effect through work health and safety (WHS) regulations rather than a single federal act. Contracts entered into before 1 July 2024 had transitional arrangements that ran to 31 December 2024.
The driver was occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica dust, and the health risk falls hardest on the tradespeople cutting and polishing the material. Existing engineered stone benchtops already installed in a home can stay in place. Removal, repair or modification is regulated work — use a licensed tradesperson and confirm the current requirements with your state or territory WHS regulator, as the detail varies and has been updated since commencement.
What counts as engineered stone
Engineered stone is an artificial product made from crushed stone containing crystalline silica bound together with resin — typically around 90% quartz aggregate with the balance resin and pigment. It is the material sold for years under the “quartz surface” banner.
What it is not:
- Porcelain and sintered stone — fired at very high temperature from refined clays and minerals. Different material, different microstructure, and the reason most of the market moved here.
- Natural stone — granite, marble, dolomite and quartzite cut from quarried blocks. Still permitted, with normal silica-safe work controls.
- Concrete, terrazzo, laminate, stainless steel, timber — all still available.
This distinction matters commercially, because it is the reason a “zero-silica” claim is now the single most asked-for attribute at the showroom counter.
What it means for your renovation
Practically: you can still get the look you wanted. The marble-veined white benchtop has not disappeared, it has moved material. Large-format porcelain and sintered surfaces now deliver the same visual at slab sizes that suit an island with a waterfall end.
- Porcelain / sintered — non-porous, no sealing, high heat and stain resistance, UV stable, available in 3200×1600mm. The default answer for most kitchens now.
- Natural stone — depth of veining and a thick edge profile nothing else quite matches. Needs sealing and more care.
- Timber and stainless — still the right call for some kitchens, particularly where you want warmth at the bench rather than pattern.
The paperwork to ask for before you pay
Do not accept a verbal assurance. Ask your supplier for these three things in writing and keep them with your renovation records:
- A statement of compliance confirming whether the product is, or is not, engineered stone.
- The safety data sheet (SDS) for the product.
- Where a crystalline silica content claim is made, the test report behind it — reported as weight-percentage, from an accredited laboratory.
A supplier who cannot produce these on request is telling you something.
Five questions to ask your supplier
- Is this product engineered stone, or a porcelain / sintered alternative?
- Can you give me the SDS and a written statement of compliance?
- What slab size and thickness does it come in, and will my island need a join?
- Who fabricates it, and what dust controls are used?
- What is the lead time from template to installation?
Choosing on looks, not just on compliance
Compliance gets a product into the conversation. It should not be the only reason you pick it. Look at a full slab in daylight, not a 100mm sample under showroom lighting. Vein scale changes completely at slab size, and a pattern that reads as elegant on a hand sample can read as busy across three metres of island.
See it in person: full slabs, large-format porcelain and engineered oak are on display at our Springvale showroom. Book a visit and bring your plans — we will measure your layout against the actual slab before you commit.