TRANSPORT AND STORAGE INDUSTRY
Transport and storage is vital to the Australian economy, underpinning a diverse range of industries and activities. These range from transporting and storing freight, to the movement of people by private and public transport, to vehicle hire and even the use of pipelines.
The contribution of an industry to the overall production of goods and services in an economy, gross domestic product (GDP), is measured by gross value added (GVA). Information on the relationship between industry GVA and GDP is provided in the Industry structure and performance chapter.
Table 24.1 shows the GVA (in volume terms) for each industry subdivision (as defined in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 1993 (1292.0)) within the Transport and storage industry. Between 2004-05 and 2005-06, Transport and storage industry GVA rose by 2.6%.
24.1 TRANSPORT AND STORAGE INDUSTRY(a), Gross value added(b) |
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![](/icons/ecblank.gif) | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
ANZSIC Subdivision | $m | $m | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
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Road transport | 13 872 | 14 638 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
Air and space transport | 5 866 | 6 193 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
Rail, pipeline and other transport | 5 553 | 5 658 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
Transport services and storage(c) | 15 675 | 15 549 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
Total transport and storage | 40 966 | 42 037 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
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(a) Classified according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 1993 edition. |
(b) Volume measures. Reference year is 2004-05. |
(c) Includes water transport. |
Source: Australian System of National Accounts (5204.0). |
All industry subdivisions except transport services and storage had increases in GVA (in volume terms) between 2004-05 and 2005-06. Air and space transport recorded the greatest increase in GVA (5.6%), followed closely by Road transport (5.5%), and Rail, pipeline and other transport (1.9%). Transport services and storage (which includes water transport) GVA fell by 0.8% between 2004-05 and 2005-06.
Between 2005-06 and 2006-07 Transport and storage total employment increased from 461,400 to 471,000 people (table 24.2). Water transport employment rose by 2,300 (19%), storage increased 3,800 (8.4%) and road transport rose 11,300 (5.2%). Over the same period, employment in rail transport decreased by 11% to 35,300 people, and air and space transport employment decreased by 5.5% to 49,900 people.
24.2 TRANSPORT AND STORAGE INDUSTRY(a), Employment(b) |
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![](/icons/ecblank.gif) | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
ANZSIC Subdivision | '000 | '000 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
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Road transport | 218.4 | 229.7 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
Rail transport | 39.8 | 35.3 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
Water transport | 12.2 | 14.5 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
Air and space transport | 52.8 | 49.9 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
Other transport | *0.8 | *0.2 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
Services to transport | 80.7 | 80.9 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
Storage | 44.8 | 48.6 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
Transport and storage n.f.d.(c) | 11.9 | 11.9 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
Total transport and storage | 461.4 | 471.0 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
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* estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution |
(a) Classified according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 1993 edition. |
(b) Annual average of quarterly data. |
(c) Not further defined. Insufficient detail collected from survey respondent to allocate them to a specific industry code. |
Source: Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, Quarterly (6291.0.55.003). |
In 2004-05 the Transport and storage industry had 126,727 operating businesses, compared with 123,060 in 2003-04 (table 24.3). These businesses generated $2,266 million (m) from the sale of goods, and $91,337m in income from services, an increase of 7.8% and 14% respectively, compared with 2003-04. Capital expenditure in 2004-05 was $9,279m, and industry value added $41,791m. The profit margin for the industry was 7.9% in 2004-05, compared with 4.5% in 2003-04, and 80% of businesses made a profit in 2004-05 while 20% made a loss.
24.3 TRANSPORT AND STORAGE INDUSTRY, Selected indicators |
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![](/icons/ecblank.gif) | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
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Operating businesses | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
![](/icons/ecblank.gif) | Employing | no. | 36 728 | 37 382 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
![](/icons/ecblank.gif) | Non-employing | no. | 86 332 | 89 345 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
![](/icons/ecblank.gif) | Total | no. | 123 060 | 126 727 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
Sales of goods | $m | 2 103 | 2 266 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
Income from services | $m | 80 255 | 91 337 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
Capital expenditure | $m | 8 984 | 9 279 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
Industry value added | $m | 36 893 | 41 791 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
Profit margin | % | 4.5 | 7.9 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
Business profitability | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
![](/icons/ecblank.gif) | Businesses that made a profit | % | 80.4 | 79.6 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
![](/icons/ecblank.gif) | Businesses that broke even | % | 0.9 | 0.9 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
![](/icons/ecblank.gif) | Businesses that made a loss | % | 18.7 | 19.5 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
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Source: Australian Industry (8155.0). |
Transport and storage industry production (in volume terms) more than doubled between 1987-88 and 2005-06 (graph 24.4).
24.4 Transport and storage production(a)(b)
![Graph: 24.4 Transport and storage production(a)(b)](/AUSSTATS/ABS@.NSF/bb8db737e2af84b8ca2571780015701e/08b332bc08267d3cca2573d20010bd96/Body/0.4656!OpenElement&FieldElemFormat=gif)
Wages and salaries for the Transport and storage industry in 2004-05 were $18,479m. Total income was $102,850m, total paid expenses $95,223m, while operating profit before tax was $7,627m (table 24.5). Road transport was the largest component industry, with 36% of the industry's wages and salaries and operating profit before tax, and 35% of total income and total expenses.
24.5 TRANSPORT AND STORAGE INDUSTRY, Selected performance measures - 2004-05 |
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![](/icons/ecblank.gif) | ANZSIC Subdivision | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
![](/icons/ecblank.gif) | Road transport | Rail transport | Water transport | Air and space transport | Other transport | Services to transport | Storage | Total | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
![](/icons/ecblank.gif) | $m | $m | $m | $m | $m | $m | $m | $m | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
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Wages and salaries(a) | 6 720 | 2 621 | 535 | 2 872 | 185 | 4 477 | 1 068 | 18 479 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
Total income | 35 689 | 9 939 | 3 023 | 15 582 | 2 251 | 31 627 | 4 740 | 102 850 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
Total expenses | 32 972 | 8 990 | 2 909 | 14 442 | 2 085 | 29 405 | 4 419 | 95 223 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
Operating profit before tax | 2 730 | 937 | *126 | 1 118 | 167 | 2 224 | *325 | 7 627 | ![](/icons/ecblank.gif) |
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* estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution |
(a) Includes capitalised wages and salaries; excludes the drawings of working proprietors. |
Source: Australian Industry (8155.0). |