Fed: Container rate drops for first time since 1999 - Waterline

AAP General News (Australia)
12-24-2001
Fed: Container rate drops for first time since 1999 - Waterline

CANBERRA, Dec 24 AAP - Container movements at Australia's five main terminals have
fallen for the first time since 1999, according to official government figures.

The Bureau of Transport Economics' Waterline publication showed the per-hour average
movement of containers by crane dropped from 26.8 containers in the June quarter to 25.8
in the September quarter.

The rate had been increasing steadily since September 1999, after new work practices
were introduced following the 1998 waterfront industrial dispute.

The only ports among Australia's leading five - Adelaide, Fremantle, Melbourne, Sydney
and Brisbane - which returned increases in the crane rate were Sydney and Adelaide, which
had marginal rises.

Fremantle remained the most efficient container port in the country, with 28.5 movements
per hour, unchanged from June.

AAP dep/daw/gl

KEYWORD: WATERFRONT

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.