Engineered Stone Ban in Australia: Everything You Need To Know

While there is definitely a lot that goes into the process of building a house, currently one new thing that homeowners need to be aware of is the engineered stone ban. This year in July (2024), the engineered stone ban in Australia officially came into force.

The Australian Government introduced the engineered stone ban in response to the significant health risks associated with silica dust exposure during the production, processing, and sale of engineered stone benchtops. While this change was a critical step towards protecting workers in the building industry, it was also one that impacted people building new homes, or redesigning their kitchens and bathrooms.

As home builders and homeowners now have to move away from engineered stone, they’ll also need to explore new options for their homes. This means taking the time to consider engineered stone alternatives for their benchtops.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know, such as what is engineered stone and why the ban on engineered stone, and we’ll detail some of the innovative engineered stone alternatives that you could incorporate into your new home designs.

Firstly, what is Engineered Stone?

Engineered stone was a modern, man-made material that fast became a top choice in benchtop designs for its sleek appearance and remarkable durability.

Natural Stone vs Engineered Stone

• natural stone quarried directly from the earth
• engineered stone combined crushed natural stone—primarily quartz—mixed with resin and pigments (creating a smooth, non-porous surface that mimicked marble or granite).

This unique composition gave engineered stone several advantages over natural stone. The high percentage of quartz, usually around 90%, provided exceptional hardness and resistance to scratches, stains, and heat. Also, unlike natural stone, which may have visible imperfections or variations, engineered stone offered a polished, seamless finish that’s ideal for contemporary design. The resin binding offered uniformity in colour and texture, making it easier to create a consistent look throughout a space.

For years, engineered stone has been used for benchtops and splashbacks in kitchens and bathrooms, as well as flooring, wall cladding, and custom furniture pieces.

Why is Engineered Stone banned in Australia?

While engineered stone sounds perfect with its elegant finish and high durability, beneath its polished surface lies a huge problem. The primary concern and why there has been an engineered stone ban comes down to its high silica content (often upwards of 90%). Whenever engineered stone was cut, drilled, or polished, it released fine silica dust into the air. Over time it was found that workers exposed to this dust had a significant risk of developing serious respiratory conditions, including silicosis - a debilitating lung disease that can be both chronic and life-threatening. Despite efforts within the building and renovation industry to improve safety measures and dust control practices, the risks remained so severe that the government stepped in and introduced the engineered stone benchtops ban.

Okay, so we have this engineered stone ban, but what does that mean for important aspects of a home’s design, like the benchtops?

What will replace Engineered Stone Benchtops? 9 Engineered Stone alternatives 

Despite the engineered stone benchtops ban,  the shift away does open up a world of incredible engineered stone possibilities that offer everything you could want - elegance, durability, and safety.

For inspiration, here are our top picks for benchtops that will bring a stunning finish to your kitchen or bathroom:

Natural Stone (Granite, Marble, or Quartzite)

Luxurious natural stone benchtop options, such as Granite, Marble, or Quartzite, can bring the timeless beauty and elegance of nature directly into your home. Each slab is a unique work of art, with veining and textures that have formed over millions of years, and offer stunning patterns, organic textures, and rich, natural colours that can’t be replicated.
Granite is renowned for its incredible durability and resistance to heat, making it an excellent choice for busy kitchens.
Marble, with its classic, veined look, exudes luxury and sophistication, perfect for those seeking a refined, timeless aesthetic.
Quartzite combines the best of both worlds—its natural beauty rivals marble, while offering the strength and resilience of granite.
Natural stone materials not only add character and charm to the overall style of your home, they provide you with a durable surface that stands the test of time while adding lasting value to your space.

Porcelain

A material already common in bathrooms, porcelain is a versatile and stylish choice for modern benchtops, offering a sleek, polished finish. Porcelain clay is incredibly durable, it’s resistant to heat (can handle hot pots and pans), stains, and scratches; and its non-porous surface also makes it suitable for kitchens, laundries, even outdoor areas too. Porcelain benchtops are coated with a pigmented glaze that can mimic natural stone, or you may want to choose from a variety of colours or patterns. A point to keep in mind, while thin slabs of porcelain are easier to install, it does make them more fragile, so thickness should be an important factor to consider if you love the idea of porcelain.

Timber

With their rich textures and earthy tones, solid timber benchtops will bring warmth and natural beauty into any home. Popular timbers like River red gum, Victorian ash, Spotted gum, Blackbutt, Tasmanian oak, Ironbark, Blackwood, Jarrah, and Brushbox make really lovely benchtops. While timber often requires additional TLC, when properly sealed or treated with heat, chemical, and stain resistant finishes (oils) and you continue to maintain it, timber offers a rich and sustainable alternative.

Laminate

If affordability is top of your list, then laminate can make a super versatile choice. Available in a world of colours and patterns, there are some laminate styles that look just like marble or other natural stones, but without the price. While not as durable as stone, laminate is non-porous so it’s resistant to stains and bacteria, and easy to clean. Modern laminate benchtops are also more durable and resistant to scratches, heat, and impact than ever before, ensuring they stand up to daily wear and tear. Laminate is also super quick and easy to install.|

Stainless steel

Sleek and professional, the reflective surface of stainless steel benchtops adds a touch of industrial sophistication to any space. Perfect for those who love a minimalist or modern kitchen, stainless steel benchtops can be custom-made to fit any kitchen layout or design preference. Stainless steel is also incredibly low-maintenance and durable (resistant to heat, stains, and bacteria), making it a top choice for those who want to feel like a master chef in their own kitchen, while prioritising functionality, health/hygiene, and style.

Concrete

Concrete might not be your first thought for such a homely space like the kitchen, but concrete benchtops provide a contemporary edge for homeowners looking for a bold, industrial-chic aesthetic. Concrete benchtops can be customised with different textured finishes, pigments, effects, or natural elements, so it’s a great choice if you’ve got your heart set on a unique or minimalist look that will still stand out. It pays to remember that concrete is porous so it can stain, however, a good sealant for heat-resistance and durability will ensure the concrete is practical as well as being an incredible design statement.

Corian

Corian is a high-tech solid surface material which is made from a blend of natural minerals and acrylic polymer, and is perfectly suited for kitchen and bathroom benchtops. Corian can be moulded into various shapes and sizes for custom designs, and provides a seamless finish that is both durable and versatile. Corian is easy to maintain, non-porous, and with plenty of colours to choose from, you can create almost any benchtop you can possibly dream of.

Recycled glass

For an eco-friendly option, recycled glass benchtops provide a vibrant and eye-catching design that reflects light superbly. Available in glorious patterns and colours, recycled glass benchtops are made from pieces of crushed glass from bottles, windows, or windscreens, and then set in resin or concrete. This material is resistant to stains and scratches, but does need sealant for added protection. 

Zero silica engineered stone alternatives

There are also manufacturers who offer other ‘stone look’ benchtops in-line with safety regulations. These new-generation materials provide the look, feel, and functionality of traditional engineered stone, just without the crystalline and silica dust. You might be surprised by the amazing durability, phenomenal colours, and limitless edge profiles available.

Build Your New Home With Eden Brae

By implementing the engineered stone ban in Australia, the government has taken a proactive step towards creating a safer environment for all those working in the building industry, which is really important. The other good thing is that the move has encouraged homeowners, builders, and designers to explore all the wonderful alternative materials

With so many fantastic engineered stone alternatives that are all stylish and functional, the ban on engineered stone won’t hold you back from selecting beautiful and long-lasting benchtops for your kitchen or bathroom space.

If you’re ready to take the next step in building your dream home - from the top right down to the final selection of an engineered stone alternative for your benchtops, simply get in touch with our team today, or head along to one of our display homes where you can discover and appreciate our kitchen and bathroom benchtops with engineered stone alternatives for yourself.