Transport

Rex has announced record high passenger numbers and revenue across both its domestic and regional networks in the first month of the Financial Year 2023 (FY2023). On the domestic front, July’s pre-audited base passenger revenue was at $13.6m, almost double that of the monthly average of the prior three months at $6.87m.

Pilbara Ports Authority and Yara have signed a collaboration agreement for a feasibility study into ammonia bunkering in the Pilbara ... an important step on the path towards a net zero shipping industry and will assess potential demand, feasibility, infrastructure requirements, safety considerations and the establishment of ammonia bunkering guidelines.

The Retired Railway Employees Association celebrated 100 years last week, with a visit to Maldon on the Victorian Goldfields Railway ... The group meets monthly and has regular social outings, but this year it was considered appropriate to celebrate the past 100 years by travelling on a steam train.

Samuel Davis. A bold new plan to ferry tourists from Cooktown to the tropical paradise of Lizard Island has been revealed by the Cook Shire mayor. Around 90 kilometres adrift from Cooktown, Lizard Island has returned to its former glory almost a decade on from the devastation caused by Tropical Cyclone Ita.

Sea Swift is delighted to announce that Dwayne Freeman has been appointed as the new CEO of Northern Australia’s largest shipping company ... “Over the coming months I’m looking forward to getting to know the Sea Swift team, our customers, and building high-quality relationships with all levels of government, industry, and the community.” Mr Freeman ... will be primarily based in the company's Cairns office.

The first train arrived at Huntly Station on Saturday morning after a 68-year absence, while trains returned to Raywood on Sunday morning for the first time in more than 40 years.

Australia’s agricultural sector can expect to contend with elevated ocean container shipping costs and ongoing supply disruptions for at least another year before a ‘normalisation’ of the global ocean freight system, according to new research from Rabobank.

"The return of direct international passenger flights is a very exciting milestone for Tasmania in a much needed boost for our tourism operators recovering from the impacts of Covid 19": Michael Ferguson.

Shadow Transport Minister, Shane Love, has called on Australia’s major airline to apologise to their WA customers after flights were cancelled across the state ... "this airline, which is borne of regional communities and the tyranny of distance, has shown little concern for the impact its mismanagement had on the regional families and businesses who rely on air travel to function,” he said.

Cape York airline Skytrans has partnered with Stralis Aircraft to develop and trial Australia's first hydrogen electric propulsion aeroplane. The zero-emissions hydrogen electric propulsion system (HEPS) will be installed on a Beech 1900D Airliner with the trial flight to occur in North Queensland, demonstrating the technology is reliable for tough local conditions and the area's pristine ecosystems.

Leading e-scooter operator Neuron Mobility, has announced an expansion to its riding area in Rockhampton ... Neuron’s e-scooters have been embraced by locals and tourists, racking up close to 200,000 kilometres since first launching in February 2022.

Shire of Ashburton residents can now take advantage of capped airfares travelling to and from Perth from July 1, 2022. The first scheme of its kind to be implemented in Australia, the WA State Government has committed $19.8 million to deliver the capped airfare scheme over the next three years.

Works on a major airside upgrade to the Whyalla Airport are nearing completion, with all but the resurfacing of the secondary runway and additional electrical work to be completed ... Mayor Clare McLaughlin said the works including the installation of the new taxi way have been constructed to allow for the landing and departure of larger aircraft.

Port Lincoln will further cement itself as a premier cruise ship destination with the construction of new terminal facilities set to be complete before the commencement of the cruise ship session later this year. Located at Brennan’s Wharf, adjacent the former Sub Station being the ‘Red Shed’ and linked to the Parnkalla Trail Wharf Precinct.

The Qantas Group and Airbus will invest up to US$200 million to accelerate the establishment of a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry in Australia, in a landmark agreement ... Due to the lack of a local commercial-scale SAF industry, Australia is currently exporting millions of tonnes of feedstock every year, such as canola and animal tallow to be made into SAF in other countries.

Freight operators and farmers will benefit from the completion of upgrade works on three freight lines in north-west Victoria. Minister for Ports and Freight Melissa Horne said the works have been carried out on the Mildura, Sea Lake and Manangatang lines to improve the condition of the track and reduce the risk of infrastructure faults which can delay grain loading.

Emma Pritchard. Regional Express (REX) has announced the withdrawal of services from several regional centres, including Grafton, with flights to cease from June 30 ... Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan and Clarence Valley Council (CVC) Mayor Ian Tiley have called on the Labor Government to extend the RANS program which has enabled REX to continue operating within the local area.

Rex has confirmed the withdrawal of services from five regional centres: Bathurst; Grafton; Lismore; Kangaroo Island, Ballina ... "Qantas’ well-publicised predatory actions on Rex’s regional routes have meant that Rex no longer has the ability to cross subsidise these marginal routes. It is unfortunate that these regional communities are the collateral damage of Qantas’ bullying and heartless behaviour. This behaviour is all the more unconscionable after receiving over $2 billion in Federal bailouts over the past 2 years” : Rex’s Deputy Chairman, the Hon John Sharp AM.

Australians have changed the Government. Anthony Albanese is our 31st Prime Minister. The policy mandate is clear. More will be done on climate, anti corruption and cost of living. So, what does that mean for rural transport?

GreaseBoss, an Australian start-up founded in 2020 on the Sunshine Coast, is going for gold in the global award program dubbed the Innovation World Cup Series ... Three mining industry engineers launched the company after developing a novel system to automate the lubrication of heavy equipment and avoid the costly hassle of breakdowns.