TRANSPORT AND STORAGE INDUSTRY

Transport and storage are 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 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 (1292.0.15.001)) within the transport and storage industry. Between 2006-07 and 2007-08, transport and storage industry GVA rose by 6%.

All industry subdivisions had increases in GVA (in volume terms) between 2006-07 and 2007-08. Transport services and storage (which includes water transport) and road transport recorded the greatest increases in GVA (both 7%), followed by rail, pipeline and other transport (5%) and air and space transport (3%).

24.1 TRANSPORT AND STORAGE INDUSTRY(a), Gross value added(b)
	2006-07	2007-08
ANZSIC Subdivision	$m	$m
Road transport	16 908	18 015
Air and space transport	6 366	6 568
Rail, pipeline and other transport	6 885	7 203
Transport services and storage(c)	18 250	19 508
Total transport and storage	48 409	51 294
(a) Classified according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 1993 edition.
(b) Volume measures. Reference year is 2006-07.
(c) Includes water transport.
Source: ABS Australian System of National Accounts (5204.0).

Table 24.2 shows employment for the transport, postal and warehousing industry (as defined in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006 edition (1292.0)). Between 2007-08 and 2008-09 transport, postal and warehousing total employment increased from 550,700 to 589,900 people. Rail transport employment rose by 15,700 (52%), transport support services increased 16,700 (35%) and postal and courier pick-up and delivery services rose 12,200 (13%). Over the same period, employment in other transport decreased by 39% to 9,800 people, and water transport employment decreased by 23% to 8,600 people.

24.2 TRANSPORT, POSTAL AND WAREHOUSING INDUSTRY(a), Employment(b)
	2007-08	2008-09
ANZSIC Subdivision	'000	'000
Road transport	239.1	243.9
Rail transport	30.5	46.2
Water transport	11.2	8.6
Air and space transport	47.7	52.3
Other transport	16.0	9.8
Postal and courier pick-up and delivery services	91.4	103.6
Transport support services	47.4	64.2
Warehousing and storage services	52.7	47.3
Transport, postal and warehousing n.f.d.(c)	14.6	14.0
Total transport, postal and warehousing	550.7	589.9
(a) Classified according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006 edition.
(b) Annual average of quarterly data.
(c) Not further defined. Insufficient detail collected from survey respondent to allocate data to a specific industry code.
Source: ABS Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, Quarterly (6291.0.55.003).

In 2007-08 the transport, postal and warehousing industry generated $123,153 million (m) in sales and service income (table 24.3). Capital expenditure in 2007-08 was $24,468m, and industry value added $53,561m. Operating profit before tax was $15,746m while the profit margin for the industry was 13% in 2007-08. The majority of businesses made a profit in 2007-08 (84%), while 14% made a loss.

24.3 TRANSPORT, POSTAL AND WAREHOUSING INDUSTRY, Selected indicators
			2006-07	2007-08
Sales and service income(a)		$m	112 615	123 153
Operating profit before tax		$m	14 687	^15 746
Capital expenditure(b)		$m	17 992	^24,468
Industry value added		$m	49 639	53 561
Profit margin		%	13	13
Business profitability
	Businesses that made a profit	%	80	84
	Businesses that broke even	%	2	2
	Businesses that made a loss	%	18	14
^ estimate has a relative standard error of 10% to less than 25% and should be used with caution
(a) Includes rent, leasing and hiring income.
(b) Includes capital work done for own use.
Source: ABS Australian Industry (8155.0).

Transport and storage industry production (in volume terms) increased by almost half (46%) between 1999-2000 and 2007-08 (graph 24.4).

Wages and salaries for the transport, postal and warehousing industry in 2007-08 were $26,080m. Total income was $134,601m, total expenses $119,045m, while operating profit before tax was $15,746m (table 24.5). Road transport was the largest component industry, with 41% of the industry's wages and salaries, 31% of operating profit before tax, 35% of total income and 36% of total expenses.

24.5 TRANSPORT AND STORAGE INDUSTRY, Selected performance measures - 2007-08
	ANZSIC Subdivision
	Road transport	Rail transport	Water transport	Air and space transport	Other transport	Postal and courier pick-up and delivery services	Transport support services	Warehousing and storage services	Total
Selected indicators	$m	$m	$m	$m	$m	$m	$m	$m	$m
Wages and salaries	10 570	2 565	537	3 285	361	2 762	4 796	1 204	26 080
Total income	47 597	9 668	2 850	20 641	2 757	10 140	34 233	6 715	134 601
Total expenses	42 744	9 151	2 650	18 981	2 378	8 686	28 079	6 376	119 045
Operating profit before tax	^4 873	515	**207	1 698	^386	^1,454	^6,199	^413	^15,746
^ estimate has a relative standard error of 10% to less than 25% and should be used with caution
** estimate has a relative standard error greater than 50% and is considered too unreliable for general use
Source: ABS Australian Industry (8155.0).

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