This report presents comprehensive statistics on maritime freight in Australia. Compared to past issues that focused on data for the most recent year, this issue contains time series to establish the trend of Australian sea freight statistics over the most recent ten years from 2001–02 to 2010–11. The information presented comprises international and coastal freight statistics, the use of coastal voyage permits, vessel activity at Australian ports, and the size and composition of the Australian trading fleet.

This report presents the results of our thirteenth review of the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme, covering the operation and impact of the Scheme for the period 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2011.

Paper given to the 31st Australasian Transport Research Forum, 2 October–3 October 2008, Gold Coast. Authors: Godfrey Lubulwa, Rob Bolin, Ben Slatter, Tony Carmody

• Container and Ship Movements Through Australian Ports: 2007–08 to 2029–30, Preliminary Estimates
  
  sp_004_Lubulwa_Bolin_Slatter_Carmody.pdf
  (1.28 MB)

Paper given to the 32nd Australasian Transport Research Forum, 29 September–1 October 2009, Auckland.Authors: Godfrey Lubulwa, Rob Bolin and Anatoli Lightfoot.

• Australian Sea Port Activity to 2029–30
  
  sp_003_Lubulwa_Bolin_Lightfoot.pdf
  (1.04 MB)

Paper given to the 34th Australasian Transport Research Forum, 28–30 September 2011, Adelaide. Authors: Godfrey Lubulwa, Adam Malarz, Shun Peng Wang.

• An Investigation of Best Practice Landside Efficiency at Australian Container Ports
  
  sp_003_Lubulwa_Malarz_Wang.pdf
  (165.67 KB)

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 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 report examines in detail the proposal to deepen and widen the entrance channel and harbour of Port Pirie. Not only is this the major port for Broken Hill lead and zinc concentrates and refined metals, but it also handles a considerable volume of wheat and barley exports.

Of the various benefits identified from the work, only two have been found to be substantial in economic terms.

These are the possibility of utilising to full capacity the somewhat larger bulk carriers for bulk concentrate exports and similarly, the possibility of fully loading wheat export ships so that they would not require topping up at deep water ports.

• Port Pirie: Economic Evaluation of Harbour Improvements
  
  report_017.pdf
  (4.77 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)

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.