Readers may be aware that we have been reviewing the indicators used in Waterline.

The BTRE has made significant progress towards developing the new schedule reliability indicator. However, the initial test results raise questions about the reliability of schedule data as well as the reliability of ship arrivals/departures, and will require further investigation.

The 10th anniversary issue of Waterline contains a special feature on the changing face of the waterfront from 1993 to 2004.

This issue contains an article on Australian International Shipping. It summarises Australia's maritime trade 2002–2003, including cargo movements, main trading partners as well as major port activity with the main focus on international trade.

This issue contains an article on trends in Australian international sea trade. It examines Australia's maritime trade 1994–1995 to 2004–2005, including commodity exports and imports, trade regions and port activity.

This issue contains articles on the role of the new Maritime Security Identification Card system and on Australian International Shipping.

In addition to the usual content on wharfside indicators of productivity, Waterline 41 contains a feature article on a set of new indicators of productivity improvements focusing on the interface between port terminals and the trucks and trains that deliver containers to and pick up containers from the terminals.

Indicators include number of trucks processed, container turnaround time, rail transported containers as percent of containers processed on the landside of terminal, and indicators on the availability and use of vehicle booking system time slots at port terminals.

The article includes preliminary estimates of the indicators. However these estimates are based on incomplete data and some, for example rail mode share, are unreliable. They are published at this stage to indicate the intended scope of the new indicators and for comment before formal reporting of the indicators starts in 2007.

This edition of Waterline includes an article on the Maritime Crew visa which started on 1 July 2007. Waterline 42 incorporates a new section dealing with landside performance indicators, which include containers per truck, average container turnaround time and truck turnaround time. It also includes landside of container terminal task indicators such as total containers by road, TEUs by road and total trucks processed. Some charts also show total containers by rail. The new section commences with the September and December quarters 2006.

Waterline reports on trends in container handling productivity on the waterfront in Australia and the cost of importing and exporting containers. It covers the unloading of container ships and the transport of containers from container terminals.

Waterline reports on trends in container handling productivity on the waterfront in Australia and the cost of importing and exporting containers. It covers the unloading of container ships and the transport of containers from container terminals.