Australia Yearbook - 2001

804 Year Book Australia 2001
Domestic freight activity
The movement of freight from its origin to
destination is a major part of the transport task,
whether goods are transported intrastate or
interstate.
Road freight activity
As can be seen from table 23.5, articulated trucks
are responsible for by far the largest percentage
of the freight transport task performed by road
(78% of total tonne-kilometres of all freight
carrying vehicles). From 1 July 2000, the legal
maximum limit in vehicle Gross Combination
Mass (GCM) (i.e. the weight of the truck and
trailer(s) plus their combined carrying capacity)
was increased in most States and Territories. This
allows trucks and buses to carry larger loads on
each trip—for example, a six axle semitrailer will
be able to legally carry 45.5 tonnes, an extra
three tonnes.
Rail freight activity
Table 23.6 shows the gradual increase in freight
carried by private and government operators over
the last 10 years. Over this period, freight carried
increased by 46.6%. Net tonne kilometres
increased slightly more (by 48.8%), indicating
that the average distances over which freight was
carried have increased.
Sea freight activity
Table 23.7 shows the weight of shipping cargo
loaded at Australian ports for discharge at
another Australian port. Both interstate and
intrastate freight dropped between 1997–98 and
1998–99. Interstate trade accounts for nearly
two-thirds of coastal freight (64%), although this
percentage has been steadily declining from
1994–95 when 68% of freight moved was
interstate.
23.5 TOTAL TONNE-KILOMETRES(a), By Type of Vehicle—Year Ended 31 July 1999(b)
Light commercial
vehicles Rigid trucks Articulated trucks
State/Territory of Registration
mill. t-km
mill. t-km
mill. t-km mill. t-km
New South Wales 1 531 8 372 22 519 32 422
Victoria 1 250 5 950 25 944 33 145
Queensland 1 072 4 230 21 350 26 651
South Australia 289 1 160 10 690 12 139
Western Australia 539 2 676 12 646 15 862
Tasmania 119 524 1 624 2 267
Northern Territory 60 180 3 638 3 877
Australian Capital Territory 64 175 *709 948
Australia 4 923 23 268 99 120 127 311
(a) Total tonne-kilometres are the total tonnes carried multiplied by the distance travelled in kilometres. (b) Because of changes to
methodology caution should be used when comparing these data with data from the 1995 and earlier surveys presented in
previous editions of Year Book Australia.
Source: Survey of Motor Vehicle Use, Preliminary (9208.0).
Total
23.6 RAIL FREIGHT OPERATIONS
Tonnes
Net tonne kilometres
’000
billion
1990 335.7 85.8
1991 346.0 88.3
1992 346.2 89.3
1993 361.2 92.1
1994 379.3 97.8
1995 381.9 99.7
1996 399.4 104.3
1997 470.1 114.4
1998 487.5 125.2
1999 492.0 127.4
Source: Australasian Railway Association Inc.
23.7 AUSTRALIAN COASTAL FREIGHT
LOADED—1994–95 to 1998–99
’000 tonnes
Year Interstate Intrastate Total
1994–95 33 692 15 498 49 190
1995–96 31 982 15 815 47 798
1996–97 32 581 16 562 49 144
1997–98 34 322 18 200 52 522
1998–99 31 934 16 454 49 388
Source: Australian port authorities.