Australia plastic pipe and fitting market is in its late growth stage with few major manufacturing players constituting majority of the market size of the industry. The market has registered a five year CAGR of single digit from FY'2013 to FY'2018.
The demand for plastic pipes and fittings is highly correlated with the investment of government on infrastructural, mining and agricultural activities and the demand for house dwellings in the country. Improvements in technology and plastic materials have helped plastic pipe increase its share in energy, agriculture, and industrial sectors in Australia.
For instance, in oil and gas applications, plastic accounts for only a small share of the total pipe market, but increasing use of some materials, such as fiberglass in oil pipelines and HDPE in natural gas distribution have supported the plastic pipe demand growth in the market.
Market Segmentation
By Type of Pipes
The market is segmented into PVC, PE and Others. Others include plastic pipes such as ABS, PP, PVDF and PB. In FY'2018, PE pipes had the largest market share. PVC pipes had second biggest market share as these types of pipes are less costly compared to PE pipes and are widely used in various sectors such as water pipelines and sewage pipelines. It has been witnessed that PVC has been mainly substituted by PE pipes in various application, which resulted in PE pipes gaining significant market share in the overall market. In other product segment, PP (Polypropylene) pipes has got a niche market for itself and is used in ventilation ducts, storm water retention systems, road culverts and others.
By Regions
The Victoria region accounted for the majority of the share because of the increased demand for house dwelling units in past few years and also due to the surging expenditure on various infrastructural and developmental activities and other similar stimulus programs by the federal and state governments in the past few years. The region also accounts for the majority of the migration into the country. Other regions such as Queensland, New South Wales also gained significant share in the market demand for housing and increased expenditure on developmental activities.
By End User Application
The end user application for plastic pipes and fittings can be categorized into Plumbing and Civil, Agriculture, Mining and Industrial, Telecom and Electrical and Others (cable protection, gas, HVAC and other related industries). Most of the plastic pipes and fittings in Australia are used for water supply and sewage systems. This is because uPVC and HDPE pipes are being preferred by the government as they are comparatively low in cost as compared to steel and iron pipes. Plumbing and civil application has comparatively higher market share due to large scale of real estate construction undertaken by the private sector in Australia. Mining, Chemical and Oil sectors are widely present in Australia owing to which, these industries contributed a significant share in the demand for plastic pipes and fittings in the country. Other applications include transfer of gas, HVAC, and other related industries.
Competition Scenario
The competition of the market is concentrated in the hands of top three players which include Iplex Pipelines, Vinidex and Pipemakers. Iplex Pipelines, Australia is the biggest manufacturer of plastic pipes and fittings in the country. It is followed by Vinidex and Pipemakers. Within the organized players, the price of the product tends to remain close to the industry prices and the manufacturers compete more on the basis of quality of the products and product availability in the wholesale and retail outlets and product customization at the time of bulk orders, whereas the unorganized players compete on the basis of price and the availability of the product in the retail and wholesale stores.
Future Outlook
The future outlook of the industry is positive with revenue estimated to grow at a CAGR of single digit during FY'2018 to FY'2023. The use of PVC pipes is expected to reduce due to substitution by other types of plastic pipes specifically PE pipes. The market share of organized sector manufacturers is expected to increase in FY'2023 due to increase in further penetration into the market and preference for high quality grade pipes. The domestic manufacturing is expected to increase in the near future. In the case of end user application, plastic pipes used in plumbing and civil applications along with application in oil and chemical industry are expected to increase at fastest pace among other end user applications.
Key Segments Covered
By End User Application:
Plumbing and Civil
Agriculture
Mining and Industrial
Telecom and Electrical and
Others (Oil & Gas, HVAC, Automotive and other related industries)
