This report presents the results of BTRE's inaugural review of the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme. It covers the operation and impact of the Scheme up to (and including) 1996–1997.

• BSPVES Monitoring Report 1
  
  mr_001.pdf
  (526.47 KB)

Transport models have been used for several decades now, both for research, and as an analytical tool to assist planners and decision-makers. As the complexity of traffic and environmental problems in our cities has increased, policy makers have come to depend on models to an even greater extent. The immense increase in available computing power over the last decade has abetted this dependence. Customised software has simplified even the most complex mathematics to such an extent that modelling is no longer the preserve of a select few 'rocket scientists'. If asked, however, many policy analysts and decision-makers would probably admit to a lack of understanding of the models on the results of which they rely. Billions of dollars in resources are expended annually in Australia despite a lack of full understanding of the basis on which decisions are made. To assist both researchers and decision-makers, Dr William (Weiguo) Lu has dissected the major models that have been used to analyse urban transport tasks. This Working Paper therefore represents something of a 'scene-setter' for further work. While a purely non-technical approach is not feasible, he has sought to provide an intuitive exposition of the basic concepts involved, relying on a minimum of mathematical expression.

• Urban Transport Models: A Review
  
  wp_039.pdf
  (1.59 MB)

This Report develops further the findings of earlier work by the Bureau of Transport and Communications Economics and the Research and Development Agency of the Indonesian Ministry of Communications on transport in northern Australia and eastern Indonesia. It explores the adequacy of tourism and transport infrastructure in eastern Indonesia to a greater depth of detail than was possible in the earlier work. The focus of the report is on international tourism, because of its importance to eastern Indonesia following the onset of the financial crisis.

• Adequacy of Tourism Transport Infrastructure in Eastern Indonesia
  
  report_099.pdf
  (24.33 MB)

This report presents the results of BTRE's second annual review of the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme. It covers the operation and impact of the Scheme up to (and including) 1997–1998.

• BSPVES Monitoring Report 2
  
  mr_002.pdf
  (579.76 KB)

Benefit-cost analysis (BCA) is a valuable and widely used tool. To reduce the odds of misuse, this report probes some important methodological issues, especially as they relate to transport projects. The discussion is relatively non-technical and draws on case studies. The issues examined include claims that transport projects fail to measure certain benefits: employment creation, regional development, logistic adaptations and 'positive externalities'. Also examined are the choice of discount rate, the treatment of taxes, the valuation of travel time, multi-criteria analysis as an alternative to BCA, and the role of national economic models.

• Facts and Furphies in Benefit-Cost Analysis: Transport
  
  report_100.pdf
  (1.33 MB)

This report presents the results of BTRE's third annual review of the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme. It covers the operation and impact of the Scheme up to (and including) 1998–1999.

• BSPVES Monitoring Report 3
  
  mr_003.pdf
  (137.79 KB)

This report presents the results of BTRE's fourth annual review of the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme. It covers the operation and impact of the Scheme up to (and including) 1999–2000.

• BSPVES Monitoring Report 4
  
  mr_004.pdf
  (100.98 KB)

This report prepared for the Australian Transport Council reviews international practice in reducing greenhouse emissions in the transport sector against an economic framework.

• Greenhouse Policy Options for Transport
  
  report_105.pdf
  (659.08 KB)

This paper provides estimates of interstate non-bulk freight rates. The estimates show that, in real terms, it has never been cheaper to ship goods in Australia.

• Freight Rates in Australia
  
  is_019.pdf
  (613.51 KB)

This report presents the results of BTRE's fifth annual review of the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme. It covers the operation and impact of the Scheme up to (and including) 2000–01.

• BSPVES Monitoring Report 5
  
  mr_005.pdf
  (117.37 KB)