<p>Rail transport benefited the most from the demise of coastal shipping since 1995, but trucks still carried the most domestic freight of any of the transport sectors, according to a report released this morning (Friday, June 22).</p> <p>The Australian Logistics Council report, examining the contribution of transport and logistics to Australia’s economy, calculated that 2.7bn tonnes of domestic freight was carried in 2004ቡ, up by 1bn tonnes or 54.5% on figures recorded in1994ኻ.</p> <p>Unsurprisingly, the road transport sector carried 37.5% of the 517.2 bn tonne-km task in 2004ቡ, three-quarters of which moved in Western Australia and Queensland.</p> <p>Rail’s share (35.9% for 2004ቡ) increased from 30% in 1990኷, while coastal shipping’s share dropped from 30% to 22.1% over the same period.</p> <p>The report found the Australian road freight sector carried 2,148 mt of cargo in 2004ቡ, an increase of 55% on 1994ኻ figures. Activity in WA accounted for close to half (44%) of the national road transport task, followed by Queensland and New South Wales.</p> <p>Rail cargoes totalled 664.1m tonnes for 2005ቡ. Annual tonnes for the mode have increased by 58% over the past decade.</p> <p>In comparison, annual tonnes carried by domestic shipping over the past 10 years have grown by just 9%.</p> <p>The report predicts domestic volumes will grow by 20m tonne-km in the years to 2016.</p> <p>Australia’s annual seaborne trade totalled 680m tonnes in 2004ቡ. </p> <p>The transport and logistics industry contributed approximately 14.5% of gross domestic product, the report found, and was the largest of any sector in the Australian economy.</p> <br />
