This is the latest in a series of Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) reports that provide information on Australian sea freight movements, vessel activity, the use of coastal trading licences, and the size and composition of the Australian trading fleet. This report contains statistics on maritime freight and shipping activities in Australia from 2007–08 to 2016–17.

Waterline reports on trends in (a) throughput, (b) container handling productivity on the waterfront and the land side of ports in Australia, and (c) the cost of importing and exporting containers via five container ports. It covers both the loading and unloading of container ships and the transport of containers from container terminals.

This issue covers port terminal activity up to the June quarter 2018.

• Waterline No 63 PDF: 4114 KB
• Container Terminal Throughput XLSX: 45 KB
• Container Terminal Productivity XLSX: 60 KB
• VBS/TAS Operations XLSX: 39 KB
• Port Interface Cost Index XLSX: 49 KB
• Time Series Tables ZIP: 77 KB

Waterline reports on trends in (a) throughput, (b) container handling productivity on the waterfront and the land side of ports in Australia, and (c) the cost of importing and exporting containers via five container ports. It covers both the loading and unloading of container ships and the transport of containers from container terminals.

This issue covers port terminal activity up to the December quarter 2018.

• Waterline No 64
  
  water_064.pdf
  (3 MB)
• Container Terminal Throughput
  
  water_064_throughput.xlsx
  (44.99 KB)
• Container Terminal Productivity
  
  water_064_productivity.xlsx
  (59.84 KB)
• VBS/TAS Operations
  
  water_064_vbs.xlsx
  (38.54 KB)
• Port Interface Cost Index
  
  water_064_pici.xlsx
  (46.64 KB)
• Time Series Tables
  
  ZIP: 83 KB

Trainline is a compendium of Australia's railways providing insights, analysis and an understanding of the railway industry. Australia's railways are evolving via changes within and outside the industry. These changes include logistics, commodity flows, technology, urban patronage and regional passenger services. The publication presents an overview and data on railway transport tasks performed; characteristics of the railways and train operators' rolling stock that runs; and aspects of railway performance including safety, environment and reliability.

• TrainLine 6 

The Freightline series is intended to provide information on interregional freight movements across Australia, filling a major gap in Australian transport-related data and information, to help better inform and support policy development and infrastructure planning. Freightline 1 provides a broad overview of the freight task. Subsequent issues consider specific commodity freight tasks, and include more detailed information about the size and location of major freight movements, supply chain composition and key infrastructure components.

This issue (Freightline 7) focusses on Australian aluminium industry transport supply chains and freight movements in 2014–15.

• Freightline 7–Australian aluminium industry freight transport
  
  Freightline_07.pdf
  (638.09 KB)

Waterline reports on trends in (a) throughput, (b) container handling productivity on the waterfront and the land side of ports in Australia, and (c) the cost of importing and exporting containers via five container ports. It covers both the loading and unloading of container ships and the transport of containers from container terminals.

This issue covers port terminal activity up to the December quarter 2017.

• Waterline No 62
  
  water_062.pdf
  (3.7 MB)
• Time Series Tables
  
  
  water_062_timeSeries.zip
  (63.89 KB)

The Freightline series is intended to provide information on interregional freight movements across Australia, filling a major gap in Australian transport-related data and information, to help better inform and support policy development and infrastructure planning. Freightline 1 provides a broad overview of the freight task. Subsequent issues consider specific commodity freight tasks, and include more detailed information about the size and location of major freight movements, supply chain composition and key infrastructure components. This issue (Freightline 6) focusses on Australian rice transport supply chains and freight movements in 2015–16.

• Freightline 6–Australian rice freight transport
  
  Freightline_06.pdf
  (859.27 KB)

This is the latest in a series of Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) reports that provide information on Australian sea freight movements, vessel activity, the use of coastal trading licences, and the size and composition of the Australian trading fleet. This report contains statistics on maritime freight and shipping activities in Australia from 2006–07 to 2015–16.

In March 2015 the Australian Government responded to the Productivity Commission's (2014) Tasmanian Shipping and Freight Report by announcing the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme (TFES) would be expanded from 1 January 2016 to provide assistance to goods going to markets not previously covered by the Scheme.

The announcement included a new monitoring process, with the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) to conduct an initial review of the expanded component in 2017 (this review). Thereafter, monitoring of the expanded component will become part of the BITRE's general TFES monitoring reviews commencing in 2019.

In terms of the level and appropriateness of the flat rate for the expanded component, BITRE's finding in this 2017 review are that:

• There is little relevant information on overall rate trends for freight shipped due to a limited claims history and many destinations.
• The appropriate benchmark for freight costs is the shipping cost across Bass Strait as, to be eligible, freight must be transhipped via an Australian mainland port.

BITRE sought public comment on a draft of this review in December 2017. Two submissions were received (including one after the finalisation of the report).

The Australian Government's response is available here.

The Freightline series is intended to provide information on interregional freight movements across Australia, filling a major gap in Australian transport-related data and information, to help better inform and support policy development and infrastructure planning. Freightline 1 provides a broad overview of the freight task. Subsequent issues consider specific commodity freight tasks, and include more detailed information about the size and location of major freight movements, supply chain composition and key infrastructure components. This issue (Freightline 5) focusses on Australian cotton transport supply chains and freight movements in 2015–16.

• Freightline 5–Australian cotton freight transport
  
  Freightline_05.pdf
  (958.1 KB)