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Transport

Domestic freight activity Movement of freight within Australia is a significant part of the transport task, with goods being transported intrastate and interstate.


Road freight activity

As can be seen from table 23.6, articulated trucks are responsible for the largest percentage of the freight transport task performed by road (77.2% of total tonne-kilometres of all freight carrying vehicles in the year ended 31 October 2000). Trucks registered in Victoria accounted for the highest tonne-kilometres travelled by articulated trucks (22.2% of total freight vehicles), while vehicles registered in New South Wales recorded the highest tonne-kilometres for rigid trucks (5.9% of total) and light commercial vehicles (1.3% of total).


23.6 FREIGHT VEHICLES, Tonne-Kilometres(a), by State of Registration - Year ended 31 October 2000
State/Territory of registration
Light commercial
vehicles

mill. t-km

Rigid trucks

mill. t-km

Articulated trucks

mill. t-km

Total

mill. t-km
New South Wales
1,693
7,580
21,817
31,090
Victoria
1,085
5,703
28,530
35,319
Queensland
1,425
5,580
19,587
26,591
South Australia
342
1,592
12,561
14,495
Western Australia
667
2,594
11,766
15,027
Tasmania
132
417
1,852
2,401
Northern Territory
56
*181
2,585
2,821
Australian Capital Territory
79
154
725
957
Australia
5,478
23,801
99,422
128,702
(a) Total tonne-kilometres are the total tonnes carried multiplied by the distance travelled in kilometres.
Source: Survey of Motor Vehicle Use, Australia (9208.0).


Rail freight activity

Table 23.7 shows a steady increase in freight carried by private and government operators over most of the last 10 years (with a substantial jump in 1997). Over this period, freight tonnage increased by 46.8%. Net tonne-kilometres increased by 52.0%, indicating an increase in the average distances over which freight was carried.


23.7 RAIL FREIGHT OPERATIONS
Tonnes

million
Tonne-kilometres(a)

billion
1990-91
346.0
88.3
1991-92
346.2
89.3
1992-93
361.2
92.1
1993-94
379.3
97.8
1994-95
381.9
99.7
1995-96
399.4
104.3
1996-97
470.1
114.4
1997-98
487.5
125.2
1998-99
492.0
127.4
1999-2000
508.0
134.2
(a) Tonne-kilometres are the number of kilometres travelled multiplied by the number of tonnes moved.

Source: Australasian Railway Association Inc.


Sea freight activity

Table 23.8 shows the weight of shipping cargo loaded at Australian ports for discharge at another Australian port. In 1999-2000, interstate freight loaded remained at about the same level as in 1998-99, but intrastate freight increased by 11.5%. In 1999-2000, interstate trade accounted for nearly two-thirds of coastal freight (63.6%).


23.8 AUSTRALIAN COASTAL FREIGHT LOADED - 1995-96 to 1999-2000
Million tonnes
Year
Interstate
Intrastate
Total
1995-96
32.0
15.8
47.8
1996-97
32.6
16.6
49.1
1997-98
34.3
18.2
52.5
1998-99
31.9
16.5
48.4
1999-2000
32.0
18.4
50.3
Source: Australian port authorities.


Tonnes of coastal cargo loaded in 1999-2000 increased by 3.9% to 50.3 million tonnes (table 23.9). Of this, 63.8% comprised bulk commodities. The commodities contributing most to the growth in tonnes carried were petroleum products (excluding crude oil) and bauxite/alumina (up 26.1% and 22.2% respectively). These increases were partly offset by falls in the amounts of iron ore and crude oil loaded.

A marginal fall in total tonnes-kilometres was recorded in 1999-2000. The main contributors to this fall were iron ore and crude oil, while all other commodities increased.


23.9 COASTAL CARGO LOADED, By Major Commodity - 1995-96 to 1999-2000
Major bulk cargo commodities
Year
Iron ore
Bauxite/alumina
Crude oil
Petroleum products
(excluding crude oil)
Other cargo
Total
TONNES (million)
1995-96
9.0
9.6
7.6
6.5
15.1
47.8
1996-97
8.3
10.1
8.3
6.9
15.6
49.1
1997-98
8.2
10.3
8.9
7.2
18.0
52.5
1998-99
8.6
9.9
6.0
6.9
17.0
48.4
1999-2000
6.8
12.1
4.5
8.7
18.2
50.3
TONNE-KILOMETRES (billion)
1995-96
40.4
21.1
16.3
9.7
18.6
106.1
1996-97
38.1
22.2
18.8
12.9
20.7
112.7
1997-98
40.9
22.4
13.5
10.3
19.6
106.7
1998-99
40.3
21.8
15.2
10.7
20.9
108.9
1999-2000
29.7
27.9
14.9
11.8
24.0
108.3
Source: Australian port authorities.


Air freight activity

In 2000 there were declines in air cargo on board for domestic operators (by 1.8%) and regional operators (by 30.4%). For the domestic airlines, cargo tonne-kilometres increased slightly (by 0.3%), indicating an increase in the average distance over which cargo was moved.


23.10 DOMESTIC AIR FREIGHT ACTIVITY - 1996 to 2000
Units
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
Domestic airlines -
- Cargo on board(a)
'000 tonnes
172.8
190.7
192.8
192.3
188.9
- Cargo tonne-kilometres(a)
million
207.8
233.7
238.4
245.4
246.0
- Total tonne-kilometres(b)
million
2,565.0
2,605.8
2,648.1
2,752.1
2,910.1
- Revenue weight load factor(c)
%
57.8
58.2
58.7
59.5
59.7
Regional airlines -
- Cargo on board(a)
'000 tonnes
2.8
3.0
3.1
2.3
1.6
Note: Freight data for domestic and regional airlines are not complete. The data cover only revenue traffic carried by operators of domestic and regional regular public transport services, and do not include charter or non-scheduled activities.
(a) Includes freight and mail.
(b) Includes the weight of passengers and baggage.
(c) Total tonne-kilometres travelled as a percentage of total tonne-kilometres available on all flights. It therefore reflects the utilisation of aeroplanes for both cargo and passenger use.

Source: Department of Transport and Regional Services.
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