Transport in Australia
There are many forms of transport in Australia. Australia is highly dependent on road transport. There are more than 300 airports with paved runways. Passenger rail transport includes widespread commuter networks in the major capital cities with more limited intercity and interstate networks. The Australian mining sector is reliant upon rail to transport its product to Australia's ports for export.
Road transport
Road transport is an essential element of the Australian transport network, and an enabler of the Australian economy. There is a heavy reliance on road transport due to Australia's large area and low population density in considerable parts of the country.[1] Australia's road network experiences excessive demand during peak periods and very weak demand overnight.[2]
Another reason for the reliance upon roads is that the
There are three different categories of Australian roads. They are federal highways, state highways and local roads. The road network comprises a total of 913,000 km broken down into:[4]
- paved: 353,331 km (including 3,132 km of expressways)
- unpaved: 559,669 km (1996 estimate)
The majority of road tunnels in Australia have been constructed since the 1990s to relieve traffic congestion in metropolitan areas, or to cross significant watercourses.
Cars
Australia has the second-highest level of
Electric vehicles
The adoption of
Public transport in Australia
Suburban rail
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide have extensive suburban rail networks which have grown and expanded over time. Australian suburban rail typically operates with bidirectional all-day services with Sydney, Melbourne, and to a lesser extent Perth and Brisbane's systems operating with much higher frequencies, particularly in their underground cores. Sydney Trains operates the busiest system in the country with approximately 1 million trips per day. Metro Trains Melbourne operates a larger system albeit with a lower number of trips.
Trams and light rail
The
Rapid transit
Sydney is the only city in Australia with a rapid transit system. The Sydney Metro network currently consists of one 36 km driverless line, connecting Tallawong and Chatswood. The line will eventually connect with the Sydney Metro City & Southwest to form a 66 km network with 31 metro stations. The Sydney Metro West is also currently in the planning stages.
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth's commuter systems are all partially underground and reflect some aspects of typical rapid transit systems, particularly in the city centres.
Intra-city public transport networks
The following table presents an overview of multi-modal intra-city public transport networks in Australia's larger cities. The only
City | Overview | Integrated network name | Buses | Urban rail/Commuter rail | Light rail[11] | Watercraft[12] | Rapid transit |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adelaide | Public transport in Adelaide |
Adelaide Metro | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
Brisbane | Public transport in Brisbane | Translink | Yes | Yes |
Yes |
||
Canberra | Public transport in Canberra |
Transport Canberra |
Yes | Yes | |||
Darwin | Public transport in Darwin |
Darwinbus | Yes | Limited | |||
Gold Coast | Public transport on the Gold Coast |
Translink | Yes |
Yes | Yes | ||
Hobart | Transport in Hobart | Metro Tasmania | Yes | Yes | |||
Melbourne | Public transport in Melbourne |
Public Transport Victoria | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited | Planned |
Newcastle | Transport in Newcastle | Newcastle Transport | Yes | Limited | Yes | Limited | |
Perth | Public transport in Perth |
Transperth | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
Sydney | Public transport in Sydney |
Transport for NSW | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Intercity rail transport
The railway network is large, comprising a total of 33,819 km (2,540 km electrified) of track: 3,719 km
Inter-state rail services
Intra-state and city rail services
There are various state and city rail services operated by a combination of government and private entities, the most prominent of these include
In Tasmania, TasRail operates a short-haul narrow gauge freight system, that carries inter-modal and bulk mining goods. TasRail is government-owned (by the State of Tasmania) and is going through significant below and above rail upgrades with new locomotives and wagons entering service. Significant bridge and sleeper renewal have also occurred. The Tasmanian Government also operates the West Coast Wilderness Railway as a tourist venture over an isolated length of track on Tasmania's West Coast.
Mining railways
Six heavy-duty
A common carrier railway was proposed to serve the port of
Cane railways
In
Pipelines
There are several pipeline systems including:
- Crude oil: 2,500 km
- Petroleum products: 500 km
- Natural gas: 5,600 km
- Water
- Perth to Kalgoorlie - Goldfields Water Supply Scheme
- Morgan–Whyalla pipeline
- Waranga Western Channel, near Colbinabbin to Bendigo and Ballarat - Goldfields Superpipe
Projects under construction or planned:
- North South Pipeline, alternatively called the Sugarloaf Pipeline) - was connected to Melbourne in February 2010.[14]
- Mallee Pipeline - construction commenced in November 2006 and was completed in April 2010.[15]
- Melbourne to Geelong Pipeline - construction was completed in March 2012.[16]
- Rocklands Reservoir to Grampian Headworks Pipeline (Hamilton - Grampians Pipeline) - construction commenced December 2008, expected completion in 2010.
Waterways
Between 1850 and 1940,
Ports and harbours
Mainland
General
- Sydney, Townsville, Wollongong
Iron ore
- Dampier
- Port Hedland
- Geraldton
- Oakajee- proposed 2006
- Esperance
- Port Lincoln - possible 2007
Tasmania
Merchant marine vessels
In 2006, the Australian fleet consisted of 53 ships of 1,000 gross tonnage or over. The use of foreign registered ships to carry Australian cargoes between Australian ports is permitted under a permit scheme, with either Single Voyage Permit (SVP) or a Continuous Voyage Permit (CVP) being issued to ships.[18] Between 1996 and 2002 the number of permits issued has increased by about 350 per cent.[19]
Over recent years the number of Australian registered and
There have also been cases where locally operated ships have an Australian flag from the vessel, registering it overseas under a flag of convenience, then hiring foreign crews who earn up to about half the monthly rate of Australian sailors.[19] Such moves were supported by the Howard government but opposed by maritime unions and the Australian Council of Trade Unions.[21] The registration of the ships overseas also meant the earnings of the ships are not subject to Australian corporate taxation laws.[20]
Aviation
Overseas flights from Australia to the United Kingdom via the Eastern Hemisphere are known as the Kangaroo Route, whereas flights via the Western Hemisphere are known as the Southern Cross Route. In 1948, the first commercial flight from Australia to Africa was flown by Qantas, launching what is known as the Wallaby Route.[22][23] In 1954, the first flight from Australia to North America was completed, as a 60-passenger Qantas aircraft connected Sydney with San Francisco and Vancouver, having fuel stops at Fiji, Canton Island and Hawaii. In November 1982, a Pan Am 747SP flew the first non-stop commercial flight from Los Angeles to Sydney.[24] Airport transfer provides a seamless and efficient transportation solution for travelers.[25] A non-stop flight between Australia and Europe was first completed in March 2018 from Perth to London.
There are many airports around Australia paved or unpaved. A 2004 estimate put the number of airports at 448. The busiest airports in Australia are:
- Sydney Airport Sydney, New South Wales SYD
- Melbourne Airport Melbourne, Victoria MEL
- Brisbane Airport Brisbane, Queensland BNE
- Perth Airport Perth, Western Australia PER
- Adelaide Airport Adelaide, South Australia ADL
- Gold Coast Airport Gold Coast, Queensland OOL
- Cairns Airport Cairns, Queensland CNS
- Canberra Airport Canberra, Australian Capital Territory CBR
- Hobart International AirportHobart, Tasmania HBA
- Darwin International Airport, Northern Territory DRW
- Townsville Airport Townsville, Queensland TSV
Airports with paved runways
There are 305 airports with paved runways:[26]
- Over 3,047 m (9,997 ft): 10
- 2,438 to 3,047 m (7,999 to 9,997 ft): 12
- 1,524 to 2,437 m (5,000 to 7,995 ft): 131
- 914 to 1,523 m (2,999 to 4,997 ft): 139
- Under 914 m (2,999 ft): 13 (2004 estimate)
Airports with unpaved runways
There are 143 airports with unpaved runways:[27]
- 1,524 to 2,437 m (5,000 to 7,995 ft): 17
- 914 to 1,523 m (2,999 to 4,997 ft): 112
- Under 914 m (2,999 ft): 14 (2004 estimate)
Environmental impact
The environmental impact of transport in Australia is considerable. In 2009, transport emissions made up 15.3% of Australia's total greenhouse gas emissions. Between 1990 and 2009, transport emissions grew by 34.6%, the second-highest growth rate in emissions after stationary energy.[28]
The Australian Energy Regulator and state agencies such as the New South Wales Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal set and regulate electricity prices, thereby lowering production and consumer cost.[citation needed]
See also
- Economic history of Australia
- Inland Railway
- Lonie Report
References
- ^ a b "Transport in Australia". International Transport Statistics Database. International Road Assessment Programme. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
- JSTOR j.ctv5cg9mn.15.
- ^ "Where are we now?". Australian Automobile Association. Retrieved 3 February 2007.
- ^ CIA world fact book.
- ^ Urban Australia: Where most of us live. CSIRO. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ Parkinson, Giles (1 May 2021). "Victoria to offer $3,000 subsidy for electric vehicles, sets 50pct target by 2030". The Driven. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ^ Mazengarb, Michael (19 June 2021). "NSW unveils $490 million support package for electric vehicles, but there's a catch". The Driven. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
- ^ Harris, Rob (22 August 2021). "Australia on verge of electric cars boom". The Age. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
- ^ Light rail in Newcastle opening from Monday 18 February Transport for NSW 3 February 2019
- Canberra Times19 March 2019
- ^ includes modern tram networks
- ^ includes public ferry and Water taxi services
- ^ "Australia's Great Train Journeys". Archived from the original on 1 April 2003. Retrieved 1 April 2003.
- ^ "Sugarloaf Pipeline Project". Melbourne Water. Archived from the original on 8 April 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ "Wimmera Mallee Pipeline". GWMWater. Archived from the original on 6 May 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ "Melbourne to Geelong Pipeline". Barwon Water. Archived from the original on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ Ian Mudie Riverboats Sun Books, Melbourne, Victoria 1965
- ^ Australian Shipowners Association. "Industry Policy". asa.com.au. Archived from the original on 4 December 2009. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
- ^ a b Paul Robinson (26 March 2002). "Maritime unions slam use of 'cheap' foreign labour". The Age. theage.com.au. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
- ^ a b Martin Byrne (22 October 2009). "A new tanker ship for Australia" (PDF). Letter from the Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers to the Federal Minister. aimpe.asn.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
- ^ Liz Porter (14 July 2002). "Shipping out, and definitely not shaping up". The Age. theage.com.au. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
- ^ Qantas celebrates 60 years of flying to South Africa, retrieved 24 April 2023
- ^ "Indian Ocean Route - Qantas to Fly Direct Australia|South Africa Services: Cocos Base Re-constructed". Flight: The Aircraft Engineer. IPC Transport Press Limited. 1952. p. 78.
- ^ "Vol. 102 No. 5339 (9 Nov 1982)". Trove. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
- ^ Harison, James. "Airport Transport Perth". macseventscharter. James Harison. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
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: External link in
(help)|ref=
- ^ "CIA - the World Factbook". Archived from the original on 7 June 2007.
- ^ "CIA - the World Factbook". Archived from the original on 7 June 2007.
- ^ Australian Government Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency (2010). Australian national greenhouse gas accounts (PDF) (Report).
Sources
- This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook (2024 ed.).
Further reading
- Unstead, R. J. "From Bullock Dray to Tin Lizzie." History Today (June 1968), Vol. 18 Issue 6, pp 406–414 online. Covers 1788 to 1920, regarding ships, bullock drays, concord coaches, camels, railways, buggies, horse bucks, trams, and automobiles.