We wish to inform you that the RCPA Board has decided to close the FRCPA business in 2025. Manufacturing operations at our Meeandah plant in Brisbane will cease once existing orders have been met. Sales will continue until all orders are filled and remaining stock has been cleared. This decision has not been made lightly and comes after thorough evaluation of future market demand and business sustainability.

Our site at Meeandah has a long and proud history, stretching back decades, during which it had become synonymous with service, quality and innovation. The dedication and hard work of our employees and the loyalty of our customers has been at the core of our success, and it is their commitment that has allowed us to achieve remarkable milestones and to operate for more than 60 years. We want to thank each and every one of you for supporting us in the way that you have.

A Rich History in Australian Manufacturing

The origins of FRC Pipe at Meeandah trace back to the 1950s when AC pipe production commenced. The factory evolved during the 1980s to manufacture fibre-reinforced concrete (FRC) pipes, marking the beginning of a new era in stormwater drainage solutions. Meeandah became synonymous with high-quality FRC pipes and fittings for the past four decades, complementing Australia's booming infrastructure needs.

For decades, FRC Pipe pioneered the industry in smart pipe technology, delivering fibre reinforced concrete pipes (FRCP) built to meet a 100-year service life. With tens of thousands of kilometres of pipe laid throughout Australia, FRC Pipe has played a part in some of Australia's biggest infrastructure projects, establishing a standard of quality, durability, and efficiency. Originally part of James Hardie, the FRC pipe business was acquired by RCPA in 2015, consolidating its position as the leader in reinforced concrete pipe manufacturing.

A Proud Legacy

The upcoming closure of the FRC pipe factory at Meeandah in 2025 marks the end of an era. While the site will close, its legacy of innovation, excellence, and contribution to critical infrastructure projects will endure. The factory’s decades-long commitment to quality and technological advancement has shaped the industry and set standards that will continue to influence future developments.

As we reflect on this milestone, we celebrate the impact of FRC Pipe and its role in shaping Australia’s infrastructure. The innovation, expertise, and dedication that defined Meeandah’s operations will continue to drive the RCPA business forward in delivering smart, sustainable, and high-performance drainage solutions.

At RCPA complacency isn’t in our DNA. We are continually innovating, looking for ways to improve our products’ functionality and adaptability, along with improving our technology, processes and procedures. Our innovative designs and materials also help us meet our environmental and sustainability goals. Innovation has helped us not only reduce carbon emissions but also improve our material’s strength and durability. Additionally, the use of more sustainable production methods has helped us reduce our environmental footprint.

Innovation is a driving force in the success of our industry. By incorporating advanced manufacturing technologies, superior materials, innovative designs, and sustainable practices, we’re able to meet the increasing demands of the construction industry and provide solutions for some of the most significant challenges they face. Innovation is essential to ensure we remain competitive and can continue to provide critical infrastructure elements that are crucial to the safety and reliability of our communities. At RCPA we thrive on being game changers of our industry, so we will continue to invest in innovative solutions to ensure we remain relevant and effective well into the future.

We are extremely excited to announce that after 2 years in the making, the end-of-life replacement of our existing 20 year old Yatala plant is on track for completion this month. The new plant will enable the optimisation of concrete batching and delivery for existing pipe making machines. It will also improve safety, reliability, reduce factory downtime and ensure we supply our customers on time.

Here are some fun facts about our new Yatala batch plant:

• We’ve used over 650 tonnes of concrete for the foundations.
• It’s taken 1,350 civil labour hours, 1,980 mechanical labour hours, and 2,265 electrical labour hours so far to complete.
• We’ve used 14 x 40-foot shipping containers for all the equipment.
• The largest crane we’ve used is a 220T slew crane to lift the raw material bins.
• And most importantly we’ve had zero injuries recorded for the duration of the project.

RCPA recognised that the stormwater pipe market was growing rapidly all the way along the east coast of Australia. Demand was exceeding supply and lead times were expanding. Thornton, in NSW, was identified as a strategic opportunity for RCPA to better deliver in both of these areas. The additional capacity also enables the NSW team to work collaboratively with RCPA Victoria and Queensland. Our new factory in Thornton opened at the end of September 2022 and has allowed us to significantly increase our capacity and product range, and therefore better serve our customers.

It’s been an exciting time for our NSW RCPA team to be able to increase production, reduce lead time, and deliver large-diameter pipes into the NSW civil construction industry.

The most important thing that the Thornton factory allows us to do is better serve our customers, both in reduction of lead times and in terms of increasing the product range that we’re able to offer our clients from local production.