This is the third publication contributing to the regional theme of natural disaster research identified in the BTRE's research program. The research examines the benefits of flood mitigation activities through case studies. It captures much of the available Australian information on the costs, benefits and performance of flood mitigation works and measures.

• Benefits of flood mitigation in Australia
  
  report_106.pdf
  (1.02 MB)

The Warren Centre's Community Values Study identified traffic congestion as the main traffic and transport concern for Warringah region residents (51 per cent of those surveyed, compared with 42 per cent for Sydney). The closer to the city, the greater the congestion, although Forest Way, in the northern part of the peninsula, is also significantly congested. The slowest car speeds are on Spit and Military roads (average of 21 kilometres per hour, five to eight kilometres per hour slower than inner routes through Chatswood and Willoughby). At weekends particularly, the Spit Bridge, which opens regularly for boat traffic, is a major congestion point. Secondly, public transport was the focus of 29 per cent of the Warren Centre's survey respondents in the Warringah region, 17 per cent identifying lack of adequate public transport (compared with 12 per cent for Sydney) and 12 per cent indicating the reliability of public transport as their main concern (compared with 11 per cent for Sydney). With no rail service in the region, Warringah region residents have fewer public transport options available to them than many other parts of Sydney. 'East-west' bus services are more limited than 'north-south' services. Bus services also are not independent of congestion on the road system, although bus priority arrangements secure a travel time advantage for bus passengers relative to car passengers over the same route. Thirdly, the Spit Bridge and Roseville Bridge routes each pass through dense residential inner areas. Conflicts between through and local traffic, which include 'rat-running' through residential streets during peak periods, have adverse consequences for the local transport environment and residential amenity. On the Spit route, where traffic is heaviest, with six traffic lanes to accommodate and less than optimal lane widths, safety is an issue with insufficient space for a Jersey (crash) barrier on the winding Spit Hill. There are also kerbside markings at Spit Junction in the northbound direction, advising pedestrians that large vehicles may 'jump the kerb'.

• Improving Transport on the Warringah Peninsula: Issues And Options
  
  wp_053.pdf
  (2.33 MB)

Regional public transport plays an important role in meeting the needs of Australians living in regional and remote areas for access to essential services and for mobility. This paper provides information on long-distance regional public transport services in Australia, and includes a snapshot of all such services across Australia in 2000–01 and the level of demand and characteristics of regional passenger travel in 1999–2000. The report also provides projections of likely future long-term trends in regional passenger travel. A companion paper, Regional public transport in Australia: Economic regulation and assistance measures (Working Paper 54), provides information on the regulatory arrangements and assistance measures relating to regional public transport.

• Regional Public Transport In Australia: Long-Distance Services, Trends And Projections
  
  wp_051.pdf
  (3.28 MB)

Regional public transport plays an important role in meeting the needs of Australians living in regional and remote areas for access to essential services and for mobility. This paper provides information on Commonwealth, State and Territory government regulatory arrangements and assistance measures relating to regional public transport in 2001–02.

A companion paper, Regional public transport in Australia: Long-distance services, trends and projections (Working Paper 51), provides information on long-distance regional public transport services in Australia, and includes a snapshot of all such services across Australia in 2000–01 and the level of demand and characteristics of regional passenger travel.

• Regional Public Transport in Australia: Economic Regulation and Assistance Measures
  
  wp_054.pdf
  (855.86 KB)

The questions of why regions grow or fail to grow, and what, if anything, governments can do about it have attracted considerable interest and debate for many years. This report provides a select review of previous government intervention approaches and experiences in pursuit of regional development. The review provides useful insights into the purpose and outcomes of various government-sponsored interventions in Australia, and in a number of other comparable countries.

• Government Interventions in Pursuit of Regional Development: Learning from Experience
  
  wp_055.pdf
  (596.21 KB)

Over the last few years, the Commonwealth has devoted considerable resources to the task of helping local government authorities maintain and upgrade their road systems. The major initiative was an extra $1.2 billion in road funding paid directly to councils through the Roads to Recovery programme but federal authorities have also been directed to work with their local government counterparts to improve road policies and practices. The Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics' main contribution to this initiative has been to carry out two research projects. A regional analysis of council road finances was published last year in BTRE Working Paper 44, Spending on Local Roads, and this report presents a complementary study of State and Territory spending on roads including the assistance they provide to local government. It also identifies the roads for which State and council authorities are respectively responsible in each jurisdiction. The BTRE would like to thank State, Territory and Local Government organisations that assisted in the preparation of this report by providing information or advice on road finances. The data presented in this report is based on the responses provided by the States and Territories to the BTRE's Survey of State Government Spending on Roads. The BTRE has made every effort to ensure the figures are internally consistent and has relied on the State and Territories to ensure the accuracy of the data.

• State Spending on Roads
  
  wp_056.pdf
  (2.26 MB)

Australia, like many other developed countries, has experienced a decline in the importance of the manufacturing and agriculture sectors over recent decades, and strong growth in the services sector. In particular, Business services accounts for a large and growing share of national value added and employment. Between 1991 and 2001, the Business services industry was the single largest source of employment growth in all States and Territories.

• Focus on regions No. 1: Industry Structure
  
  ip_049.pdf
  (1.5 MB)
• Industry Structure Database 2003
  
  
  ip_049.xls
  (7.68 MB)

Paper presented by David Gargett, Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics & John Gafney, VicRoads Melbourne.

• Traffic Growth in Australian Cities: Causes, Prevention and Cure
  
  sp_002_Traffic_Growth_in_Australian_Cities.pdf
  (1.71 MB)

This report analyses trends in educational attainment and occupational status in Australia. It investigates the spatial distribution of skills, qualifications, selected professionals and skilled tradespeople across Australia's regions in the period 1991 to 2001.

• Focus on Regions No. 2: Education, Skills and Qualifications
  
  ip_051.pdf
  (1.41 MB)
• Human capital education database
  
  
  ip_051a.xls
  (13.26 MB)
• Human capital occupation database
  
  
  ip_051b.xls
  (10.49 MB)

The paper and associated database directly tackle the issue of quantifying economic growth in regions. BTRE derived regional economic activity indices for every Local Government Area in Australia from 1980–81 to 2004–05. The figures are based on Australian Taxation Office individual income data which have been reworked to allow easy comparisons between standard regions and over time.

• Focus on Regions No 3: Taxable Income
  
  ip_054.pdf
  (2.25 MB)
• Taxable Income Database [updated 23 Jan 2008]
  
  
  ip_054.xls
  (4.71 MB)