1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2003  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/01/2003   
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Contents >> Transport >> Transport equipment

Registered motor vehicles

The number of motor vehicles registered in Australia has steadily increased since 1996. At 31 March 2001 there were some 12 million motor vehicles (excluding motor cycles, tractors, plant and equipment, caravans and trailers) registered in Australia (table 23.32). This represents an increase of 1.6% since the previous census taken on 31 October 1999. Approximately eight out of every 10 vehicles are passenger vehicles. Table 23.33 shows registered motor vehicles by state/territory of registration. New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland predominate with 30.1%, 26.6% and 18.8% of the total vehicle fleet respectively.


23.32 REGISTERED MOTOR VEHICLES
Trucks
Motor vehicle
Passenger vehicles(a)
Light commercial vehicles
Rigid
Articulated
Non-freight carrying
Buses
Total(b)
Motor cycles
census years(c)
’000
’000
’000
’000
’000
’000
’000
’000
1996
9,022
1,602
341
58
16
59
11,097
304
1997
9,240
1,632
342
59
17
61
11,351
313
1998
9,561
1,686
347
62
18
64
11,738
329
1999
9,720
1,721
347
63
18
66
11,935
334
2001
9,870
1,770
338
63
18
68
12,126
351
(a) Includes campervans.
(b) Excludes motor cycles, tractors, plant and equipment, caravans and trailers.
(c) As at 31 March for 2001 and as at 31 October for all previous years shown.

Source: Motor Vehicle Census, Australia (9309.0).



23.33 REGISTERED MOTOR VEHICLES - At 31 March 2001
Trucks
Passenger vehicles(a)
Light
commercial vehicles
Rigid
Articulated
Non-freight carrying
Buses
Total(b)
Motor cycles
’000
’000
’000
’000
’000
’000
’000
’000
New South Wales
3,014
502
103
15
3
17
3,655
91
Victoria
2,690
411
83
18
6
16
3,223
95
Queensland
1,773
409
68
13
3
15
2,280
74
South Australia
857
128
25
6
2
4
1,023
28
Western Australia
1,045
216
44
8
3
10
1,327
45
Tasmania
246
62
9
2
1
2
323
8
Northern Territory
68
25
3
1
-
3
99
4
Australian Capital Territory
176
17
2
-
-
1
197
6
Australia
9,870
1,770
338
63
18
68
12,126
351
(a) Includes campervans.
(b) Excludes motor cycles, tractors, plant and equipment, caravans and trailers.

Source: Motor Vehicle Census, Australia, 31 March 2001 (9309.0).


At 31 March 2001 the average age of the Australian motor vehicle fleet was 10.5 years (table 23.34), a 72.1% increase on the 1971 average of 6.1 years. Tasmania recorded the highest average age at 12.4 years while the Northern Territory recorded the lowest average age at 9.2 years. For vehicle type, campervans had the oldest average age at 19.0 years, while buses recorded the lowest at 9.9 years.


23.34 ESTIMATED AVERAGE AGE OF THE VEHICLE FLEET(a) - At 31 March 2001
State/territory of registration
Type of vehicle
NSW
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas.
NT
ACT
Aust.
Passenger vehicles
9.0
10.6
10.1
11.8
10.4
12.0
8.9
10.0
10.1
Campervans
17.2
19.7
16.9
19.4
21.0
19.5
19.4
19.6
19.0
Light commercial vehicles
10.3
12.4
11.1
12.6
11.9
13.2
9.9
10.9
11.4
Rigid trucks with GVM(b) 3.5 and < 4.5 tonnes
11.2
14.6
12.2
14.5
14.1
17.0
7.6
12.0
12.7
Rigid trucks with GVM(b) 4.5 tonnes and over
13.8
17.2
14.6
17.6
17.4
17.1
12.8
10.9
15.7
Articulated trucks
10.9
12.0
11.5
11.2
13.6
10.9
12.0
7.9
11.7
Non-freight carrying trucks
13.9
15.5
11.6
14.2
16.8
17.3
12.6
15.6
14.6
Buses
9.3
10.5
10.1
11.6
8.5
13.9
7.6
9.6
9.9
Motor cycles
9.0
9.6
10.7
(c)9.6
11.7
10.3
8.0
9.4
10.0
Total
9.4
11.0
10.5
12.0
11.0
12.4
9.2
10.1
10.5
(a) Excludes plant and equipment, caravans and trailers.
(b) Gross vehicle mass.
(c) Year of manufacture is frequently not reported for SA motor cycles.

Source: Motor Vehicle Census, Australia, 31 March 2001 (9309.0).


The number of registered motor vehicles (excluding motor cycles) relative to the resident population increased steadily over the seven years to 1998, from 582 vehicles per 1,000 persons in 1991 to 644 per 1,000 persons in 1998 (table 23.35). The number stayed much the same in 1999 and 2001.


23.35 MOTOR VEHICLES(a)(b) ON REGISTER PER 1,000 OF POPULATION
1991
1993
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2001
New South Wales
525
529
545
556
563
581
574
575
Victoria
622
642
637
669
677
682
693
689
Queensland
569
593
614
624
627
645
659
652
South Australia
637
638
653
667
671
693
692
700
Western Australia
653
665
679
694
706
725
723
720
Tasmania
643
661
676
686
686
684
701
704
Northern Territory
507
497
520
529
530
538
535
522
Australian Capital Territory
556
591
604
613
637
631
635
649
Australia
582
595
606
614
630
644
647
645
(a) Excludes motor cycles, tractors, plant and equipment, caravans and trailers.
(b) Motor vehicle census years, as at 31 March for 2001 and as at 31 October for all previous years shown.

Source: Australian Demographic Statistics (3101.0); Motor Vehicle Census, Australia (9309.0).

Sales of new motor vehicles

The number of new motor vehicles sold in Australia rose from 616,000 in 1994 to a peak of 807,000 vehicles sold in 1998. Annual sales have fluctuated since that time with 775,000 vehicles sold in 2001 (table 23.36). Of the total vehicles sold in 2001, 68.4% were passenger vehicles; in 1994 some 74.9% of vehicle sales had been passenger vehicles.


23.36 SALES OF NEW MOTOR VEHICLES, By type of vehicle: Seasonally adjusted
Passenger vehicles
Other vehicles
Total vehicles
'000
'000
'000
1994
462
155
616
1995
489
154
643
1996
491
158
649
1997
541
183
723
1998
583
224
807
1999
547
238
784
2000
556
235
791
2001
531
245
775
Source: Sales of New Motor Vehicles, Australia (Electronic Publication) (9314.0).


Table 23.37 shows sales of new motor vehicles for each state and territory. In 2001, New South Wales had the highest sales of new motor vehicles in Australia (almost 271,000), representing 34.9% of all sales in that year, followed by Victoria (27.9%) and Queensland (17.5%). The Northern Territory had the lowest annual sales at 0.9% of total sales.


23.37 SALES OF NEW MOTOR VEHICLES: Seasonally adjusted
State/territory of registration
NSW
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas.
NT
ACT
Aust.
'000
'000
'000
'000
'000
'000
'000
'000
'000
1994
225
143
115
40
62
13
6
13
616
1995
235
152
116
42
64
14
8
13
643
1996
231
157
119
42
67
13
7
11
649
1997
257
179
130
47
73
14
8
14
723
1998
286
203
146
53
80
15
9
15
807
1999
282
206
142
48
70
14
8
14
784
2000
282
214
139
47
71
14
8
16
791
2001
271
216
136
48
69
14
7
14
775
Source: Sales of New Motor Vehicles, Australia (Electronic Publication) (9314.0).


Rail rolling stock

The number of locomotives, passenger cars and wagons in the Australian rail fleet is shown in table 23.38. A large number of the narrow gauge diesel locomotives are owned by Queensland operators (Queensland Rail and Sugar Cane Railways), and service the Brisbane to Cairns route or the extensive rail network transporting sugar cane. Queensland Rail has the largest fleet of locomotives with 350 narrow gauge diesel and 184 narrow gauge electric. Other operators with large locomotive fleets are Freight Corp (NSW) and Tranz Rail (NZ) which operates in Tasmania.


23.38 AUSTRALIAN RAIL FLEET - At 30 June
2000
2001
LOCOMOTIVES
Diesel
Broad gauge
131
142
Standard gauge
886
875
Narrow gauge
1,050
1,018
Electric
Standard gauge
60
60
Narrow gauge
184
184
XPT standard gauge
19
21
Total
2,330
2,300
PASSENGER CARS
Locomotive hauled
711
668
Diesel rail cars
Non-urban
117
117
Suburban
106
100
Total
223
217
Electric railcars
Interurban(a)
283
283
Suburban
2,566
2,593
Total
2,849
2,876
Tram/light rail
556
565
Charter/heritage
47
40
Total
4,386
4,366
WAGONS
Revenue
Broad gauge
2,025
2,020
Standard gauge
20,703
20,928
Narrow gauge(b)
19,336
18,614
Total
42,064
41,562
Other
1,719
1,650
Total
43,783
43,212
(a) Includes 12 tilt cars.
(b) Excludes 54,000 610 mm sugar cane wagons.

Source: Australasian Railway Association Inc.


Shipping fleet

There were 8,888 ships registered in Australia at 28 June 2002 (table 23.39), with Queensland having the largest fleet (2,829 ships). In all states and territories except South Australia and Tasmania, over half the fleets were registered for recreational use. High percentages of ships registered in South Australia (49.1%) and Tasmania (40.7%) were registered for fishing purposes.


23.39 SHIPS REGISTERED(a) IN AUSTRALIA - At 28 June 2002
Nature of registration
Recreational
Fishing
Government
Demise chartered(b)
Other
Total
New South Wales
1,807
280
4
6
251
2,348
Victoria
666
199
-
1
100
966
Queensland
1,634
756
18
10
411
2,829
South Australia
283
317
1
-
45
646
Western Australia
623
412
1
3
147
1,186
Tasmania
259
219
2
-
58
538
Northern Territory
284
61
1
-
29
375
Australia
5,556
2,244
27
20
1,041
8,888
(a) Australian-owned commercial or trading ships of 24 metres or more in tonnage length. All ships, regardless of tonnage length, must be registered before departing on a voyage from Australia or from a foreign port where there is an Australian diplomatic representative.
(b) Demise charter is the charter of a foreign ship operated by an Australian company in Australian waters. These ships are not necessarily engaged in trade or commerce.

Source: Australian Maritime Safety Authority.


The major Australian trading fleet (vessels of 2,000 deadweight tonnes (DWT) and over) comprised 54 ships at 30 June 2000 (table 23.40). The largest registered coastal ships were the Iron Whyalla and the Iron Spencer (both 141,475 DWT) which shipped iron ore and coal. The minor trading fleet, consisting of vessels with gross tonnage (GRT) of between 150 and 2,000 tonnes, comprised 23 ships.


23.40 THE AUSTRALIAN TRADING FLEET, Ships 150 gross tonnes or more - At 30 June 2000
Ships
no.
DWT(a)
GRT(b)
Major Australian fleet(c)
Coastal
Australian registered
40
1,362,268
912,856
Overseas registered
5
124,353
75,881
Total
45
1,486,621
988,737
Overseas
Australian registered
8
633,694
636,346
Overseas registered
1
149,235
88,122
Total
9
782,929
724,468
Total
54
2,269,550
1,713,205
Minor trading ships(d)
Australian registered
22
12,986
10,947
Overseas registered
1
800
5,618
Total
23
13,786
16,565
Australian trading fleet
77
2,283,336
1,729,770
(a) Deadweight tonnes is the weight that a vessel can carry, including cargo, bunkers, water and stores.
(b) Gross tonnage is the measure of internal capacity of a ship that is available within the hull and enclosed spaces for cargo, stores, passenger and crew.
(c) 2,000 DWT and over.
(d) Minor trading ships are between 150 GRT and 2,000 DWT.

Source: Department of Transport and Regional Services.


Aircraft fleet

The following information, relating to the aircraft fleet in Australia at 30 June 2002, was provided by the Department of Transport and Regional Services.

At 30 June 2002 there were 11,779 aircraft registered in Australia, including 10,696 aeroplanes and helicopters, and 1,083 gliders. Of these the main airlines had 172 aircraft, a 17.7% decrease on the previous year following the collapse of Ansett Airlines in September 2001.

More than half the regional airline fleet comprised turbine engine and jet aircraft each carrying up to about 90 passengers.



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