This study attempts a quantitative assessment of Tasmania's transport disabilities relative to the other States and covers interstate shipping to Tasmania, together with closely related topics such as Tasmanian port operations and freight forwarding. Particular note has been taken of the Senate Standing Committee on Primary and Secondary Industry and Trade Committee's views that Tasmania has a 'transport disability' and that any comparisons should take into account its position as a sovereign state.

• An Assessment of Tasmania's Interstate Transport Problems
  
  report_006.pdf
  (6.52 MB)

The rapid development of mining in the Pilbara region of north west Australia has already increased the transport task in the region and is expected to increase it much more. In the past, there has been little land transport to the north west, and the major service has been by sea.

In the fluid situation generated by rapid development, it is important to ask how the freight task should be performed in future, whether the shares carried by the various transport modes should be changed and whether there should be radical changes in the whole transport system to the region. These are the questions that this report sets out to answer.

• Freight Transport to North West Australia, 1975–1990
  
  report_007.pdf
  (11.27 MB)

This Paper describes the design and operation of a fully-automated materials handling system which differs in many respects from conventional systems. The system is intended to fulfil requirements for automated semi-random storage and retrieval of non-fragile uniform containers, and has several major advantages over other systems. Although it is well suited to a particular class of handling problem, the proposed system could also be used in other applications.

• An Automated Semi–Random Storage/Retrieval System
  
  op_001.pdf
  (1.09 MB)

The study examines the economics of a landbridge based on Fremantle, and also considers Adelaide and Melbourne as terminal ports for the European trades. In addition, the benefits and costs implied by a strategy of alternate calls at Sydney and Melbourne are considered.

• The Economics of an Australian Landbridge
  
  report_015.pdf
  (1.1 MB)

This study investigates evaluates the various options that could be taken in improving port facilities in Darwin, with particular reference to the impact of Cyclone Tracy.

• Provision of General Cargo Facilities at the Port of Darwin
  
  report_019.pdf
  (3.57 MB)

"The operations of a railway system can often be enhanced by the introduction of improved technology. Clearly the benefits of the new technology should more than compensate for its costs.

The introduction of the 2CM freight bogie would enhance the operations of the Australian railways, however the question of the value of the benefits in relation to the additional costs has been a vexed one. This report has been prepared with the object of clarifying the economic merits of the 2CM bogie."

• The 2CM Freight Wagon Bogie–an Appraisal
  
  report_023.pdf
  (3.47 MB)

Government railways in Australia operate in all mainland States and Territories. Interstate movement of freight over the rail network is a potentially important method of transportation within the nation. However, intersystem railway arrangements operate against a background of State railways providing predominantly intrastate freight services. This report presents the results of a study of intersystem railway freight rating practices as they apply to a particular area of New South Wales.

• Study of Intersystem Railway Freight Rating Practices
  
  report_025.pdf
  (9.57 MB)

Because of separate development by the individual States, the Australian railway network contains links of a number of different gauges.

For this reason bogie exchange facilities have been established at several locations including two in South Australia, at Port Pirie and Peterborough, where the State broad gauge system meets the interstate standard gauge system.

The intention of these exchanges is to allow ready transfer of loaded and unloaded freight wagons from one system to the other. Traffic through the exchange at Port Pirie has increased to the extent that difficulties are being experienced in handling it.

• Study of Port Pirie Bogie Exchange
  
  report_026.pdf
  (3.77 MB)

Transport planning and research has placed considerable emphasis on the movement of people but comparatively little on the movement of goods. Such neglect prompted the Commonwealth Bureau of Roads to sponsor a Workshop on Urban Goods Movement in January 1975 as a means of gaining an insight into the topic.

• Urban Goods Movement in Sydney
  
  op_017.pdf
  (4.43 MB)

When the Commonwealth Government introduced the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme on 1 July 1976 it directed the Bureau of Transport Economics to recalculate the rates of assistance by December 1977.

This report presents the recommended new rates of assistance calculated on the basis of the freight rates prevailing at the end of December 1977. The method of recalculation was based on that used by the Nimmo Commission although with some modifications.

The new assistance rates were calculated as the difference between the costs of moving a consignment from Tasmania to mainland destinations and the costs of moving a similar consignment on comparable mainland routes.