This Information Sheet presents an estimate of interstate freight rates for road, rail, sea and air modes back to 1965. Models of the first three modes are also presented, allowing an understanding of the determinants of the level and movement of freight rates in Australia.

The estimates and models presented show that following rapid declines in real freight rates during 1975 to 1985 for road and 1985 to 1995 for rail and sea, the trend has since been basically sideways–higher or lower due to trends in technology, fuel prices and the economy.

• Freight Rates in Australia
  
  is_090.pdf
  (578.42 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. The Freightline series begins with a broad overview of the freight task, followed by separate commodity-specific issues that provide more detailed information about the size and location of major freight movements, supply chain composition and key infrastructure components. Freightline 4 (this issue) focusses on Australian coal transport supply chains and freight movements in 2014–15.

• Freightline 4–Australian coal freight transport
  
  Freightline_04.pdf
  (1.4 MB)

The Information Sheet provides revised estimates of road freight by State, capital city and rest-of-state. The long-term trend in growth has been substantial, interrupted only by the 1990 recession and the Global Financial Crisis.

• Australian road freight estimates: 2016 update
  
  is_079.pdf
  (845.12 KB)

The shipping container has revolutionised freight transport over the last half-century but its success is bringing challenges, not least in landside container movements. Port-induced road traffic congestion impacts on port arteries and communities and undermines port efficiency. Policymakers and planners seek to shift activities from roads to rail. This is a challenge, however, because most of the containers move over short distances, where trains are relatively uncompetitive. Despite that, there are instances where port–hinterland rail services exist. This report analyses the underlying necessary conditions that need to prevail for those rail services to be sustainable.

• Why short-haul intermodal rail services succeed
  
  rr_139.pdf
  (3.51 MB)

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. The Freightline series begins with a broad overview of the freight task, followed by separate commodity-specific issues that provide more detailed information about the size and location of major freight movements, supply chain composition and key infrastructure components. Freightline 3 (this issue) focusses on Australian sugar-related transport supply chains and freight movements in 2011–12.

• Freightline 3–Australia sugar freight transport
  
  Freightline_03.pdf
  (2.73 MB)

This information sheet provides updated road freight estimates previously reported in Chapter 2 of BITRE Research Report 121. It gives estimates for interstate, intrastate, capital city and total road freight for each state/territory for the period between 1971–72 and 2012–13.

• Australian road freight estimates: 2014 update
  
  is_062.pdf
  (1.21 MB)

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. The Freightline series begins with a broad overview of the freight task, followed by separate commodity-specific issues that provide more detailed information about the size and location of major freight movements, supply chain composition and key infrastructure components. Freightline 1 (this issue) provides a broad overview of freight movements in Australia, highlighting some of the major commodity flows.

• Freightline 1–Australia freight transport overview
  
  Freightline_01.pdf
  (1.27 MB)

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. The Freightline series begins with a broad overview of the freight task, followed by separate commodity-specific issues that provide more detailed information about the size and location of major freight movements, supply chain composition and key infrastructure components. Freightline 2 (this issue) focusses on Australian iron ore transport supply chains and freight movements in 2011–12.

• Freightline 2–Australia iron ore freight transport
  
  Freightline_02.pdf
  (1.94 MB)

The report provides a profile of Australia's principal bulk ports and the logistics chain that delivers commodities through those ports. Efficient logistics are essential for these volumes, requiring substantial investment as well as good co-ordination of the different links in the logistics chain. These factors have been especially important in the last decade, with tonnage rising by over 75 per cent. The report illustrates the tasks performed at each port using the broad range of data and indicators that are published by port authorities and bulk terminal operators.

• Australia's Bulk Ports
  
  report_135.pdf
  (10.66 MB)

This information sheet provides a summary of Tasmanian passenger and freight movements in 2011–12. It brings together key data about Tasmanian transport from other Bureau publications and unpublished data sources.

• Tasmanian Passenger and Freight movements
  
  is_048.pdf
  (533.55 KB)