Product Price range ( for kitchen benchtops , excluding sink ) Bamboo � $ 300 to $ 400 per square metre
Hardwood timber � $ 600 to $ 1,200 per square metre
Engineered stone
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Caesarstone benchtops range from approximately $ 416 to $ 1,190 per square metre , plus installation fees Sintered engineered stone $ 600 –$ 1,400 per square metre
Porcelain � $ 700 to $ 2,500 per square metre , including installation
Granite � $ 700 to $ 2,500 per square metre , including installation
Marble � $ 800 to $ 2,200 per square metre , including installation
Stainless steel � $ 900 to $ 1,000 per square metre
Polished concrete
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$ 1,000 to $ 1,750 per square metre finished / installed
Sources : Jeffery 2023 , Gibson 2023 , Home Beautiful 2021 , Vbathroom 2020 , Webeck and Mathers2022
If a prohibition were to apply to all engineered stone ( Option 1 ), submissions have raised potential for supply constraints on alternative products . For instance , it is suggested that the supply of particle board may prevent adequate supply of laminate benchtops to meet expected demand in the absence of engineered stone . 42 Submissions have also noted that the implementation period for any prohibition should also allow engineered stone PCBUs to fulfil current orders and to enable the industry to source and transition to natural stone or alternative products .
B . 2 Industries that work with engineered stone
Two key industries work with engineered stone : �
‘ Engineered stone PCBUs ’ are businesses that fabricate ( cut , shape , polish ) and install new engineered stone ( discussed further in Section 4.2 ), and
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‘ Other industry PCBUs ’ are builders , electricians , tilers , carpenters , and other trade businesses that predominantly work with legacy engineered stone ( already installed engineered stone ) in the course of their primary activities ( e . g . cutting an existing benchtop to fit an electrical outlet or repair plumbing ) ( discussed further in Section 4.2 ). 43
Other cohorts involved in the engineered stone supply chain include :
� Importers and wholesalers of engineered stone – Caesarstone estimates there are about 12 importers of engineered stone in Australia including Caesarstone , Smartstone , and Cosentino . This is a concentrated market , with Caesarstone comprising about 40 % of the engineered stone market in Australia . 44 This cohort would be most impacted by a total prohibition on engineered stone ( Option 1 ). However , it is assumed that with a sufficient implementation period , suppliers could still fulfil their existing commitments , move unsold engineered stone stock and leverage existing capital , supply and
42
Smartstone submission
43
These groupings are a simplifying assumption . Some proportion of engineered stone PCBUs will undertake engineered stone repairs and some other industry PCBUs will also undertake installation of new engineered stone .
44
Caesarstone submission
DECISION REGULATION IMPACT STATEMENT Prohibition on the use of engineered stone Page 72 of 107