Stone dust, crusher dust, quarry dust – whatever you wanna call it, this fine grey powdery stuff that comes out the bottom of the rock crusher is an absolute legend on job sites all over Victoria. It’s the magic ingredient under pavers, the perfect base for synthetic turf, the thing you blind artificial grass joints with, and the go-to for anyone pouring concrete slabs who doesn’t want cracks in five years’ time. If you’re anywhere from Werribee to Geelong, Melton to the Mornington Peninsula, you’ll never be short of places selling stone dust – but not all of it’s created equal, mate.
What Actually Is Stone Dust and Why Do You Need the Good Stuff?
Stone dust is basically the fines left after they smash basalt, granite or sandstone into road base and aggregate. The best stuff is 100% crushed rock with nothing under 5mm – no clay, no dirt, no organic rubbish.
When you wet it and whack it with a plate compactor, it locks up tighter than a nun’s knees. That’s why landscapers and brickies go nuts for it. Grab a cheap bag of “crusher dust” off Marketplace and you might be getting recycled concrete fines or road scrapings – it’ll turn into slop the first time it rains.
Top Places Selling Proper Stone Dust Across Melbourne Right Now
The big dogs everyone’s using in 2025 are still the same crew the old fellas trusted twenty years ago. Boral Quarries at Deer Park and Batesford have the premium blue-grey basalt crusher dust that compacts like cement. Then you’ve got Hanson out at Wollert pumping out granite dust that’s a bit lighter in colour and bloody perfect for under pavers in the western suburbs.
If you’re south-east, Gamco at Dandy still does the cracker dust that half the Peninsula landscapers live on. For the budget-conscious crew, Delta Recycling near Laverton does a recycled crusher dust that’s usually ten bucks a tonne cheaper and still 98% as good – just don’t tell the purists.
How Much Stone Dust Do You Need Under Pavers or Turf?
Rule of thumb the pros use: for a standard patio or driveway you want 100mm of road base compacted, then 50mm of stone dust on top, wetted and whacked till it’s rock hard. That’s roughly 1 cubic metre of crusher dust per 15 square metres at 50mm thick. Artificial grass? Same deal – 50mm of dust blinded flush with a screed board and you’ll have a base that lasts longer than the turf warranty. Concreters doing house slabs usually allow 75–100mm under the plastic and mesh because it drains like a dream and stops the slab pumping.
Delivery or Pick-Up – What’s Cheaper for Stone Dust in 2025?
Most quarries and landscape yards will tip you 6–30 tonne on a tandem or truck-and-dog for $80–$150 delivery anywhere inside the metro ring. Pick it up yourself in a tandem trailer and you’re saving $15–$20 a tonne easy.
Places like Cranbourne Crusher Dust and Melton Landscape Supplies have drive-through yards where you can be in and out in ten minutes. Need it Saturday? Ring Friday morning and sweet-talk the weighbridge lady – half of them still do weekend runs for the regulars.
Dodgy Stone Dust vs the Real Deal – How to Spot the Rubbish
If the pile looks yellow or brown instead of grey, walk away – that’s crusher dust mixed with clay or scalps. If it’s got lumps bigger than a 5-cent piece, keep driving. Good stone dust should feel gritty between your fingers and go almost black when you wet it. Any yard that won’t let you dig a handful out of the stockpile is hiding something – probably road sweepings or brickie’s sand fines.
Best Uses for Stone Dust Around the House or Site
Landscapers use it under everything – pavers, synthetic turf, concrete sleepers, even horse arenas. Concreters love it because it drains and compacts better than sandy gravel. Plumbers chuck it around pipes for bedding because it locks in tight. Even the weekend warriors are onto it now – blinding driveway gravel with a thin layer of dust stops the stones flicking up and wrecking the missus’s car.
FAQs
What’s the difference between crusher dust and decom granite?
Decom is crushed granite that breaks down into sand when compacted. Crusher dust is proper fines from basalt or granite that stays hard forever. Use decom for garden paths, crusher dust for anything structural.
Where’s the cheapest decent stone dust near Werribee or Hoppers Crossing?
Delta Recycling at Laverton or Geelong Crusher Dust deliveries – both under $45 a tonne delivered for recycled, $55-ish for premium.
Can I use stone dust instead of bedding sand under pavers?
Yeah mate, better actually. It compacts harder and locks the pavers tighter than yellow brickies sand ever will.
How many tonnes in a cubic metre of crusher dust?
Usually 1.5–1.6 tonnes when it’s dry, closer to 1.8 when it’s wet.
Do any places deliver stone dust on weekends?
Most yards are shut Sunday, but a few like Hanson Deer Park and Gamco will drop Saturday if you order Friday and don’t mind paying the weekend rate.
