Journey to Work – Northern Territory

How do we compare with other states and territories? December 2012

The five-yearly census by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) includes questions on usual place of residence and method of travel to work. Combining this information gives statistics on the mode (or type) of transport used by Territorians and other Australians. Comparisons can be made with other states and territories, capital cities and region centres, and analysis of this data can assist Government and private agencies in planning for future transport needs in this rapidly growing region. All the data in this fact sheet has been obtained from the 2011 Census of Population and Housing.

Key Points

• Most journeys to work in the Northern Territory were by Motor Vehicle (78.7%) and walking (12.9%). Only 5.2% travelled by public transport and 3.3% travelled by cycle. • NT has the highest proportion of people travelling to work by walking and cycling than any other State or Territory • NT has the second lowest proportion of people using public transport or motor vehicle for travelling to work • Greater Darwin had the highest rate of motor vehicle use (86.2%) and lowest rate of public transport use (5.0%) for the journey to work of all capital cities in Australia. • Active transport use is high in comparison with other capital cities. Darwin had the second highest rate of walking to work (5.7%) and highest rate of cycling to work (3.1%). • Darwin and Alice Springs have a relatively low motor vehicle mode share, of 86% and 82.6% respectively, when compared to regional cities of a similar size. • Public transport use for both Darwin (5.1%) and Alice Springs (4.5%) is above average compared to similar sized regional cities. • Alice Springs had the highest cycling figure (5.4%) and Darwin the second highest (3.1%) of similar sized Australian regional cities. Darwin and Alice Springs had above average walking figures of 5.7% and 7.5% respectively. • It should be noted that 67% of the NT population live in Darwin and Alice Springs. Therefore, the Darwin and Alice Springs journey to work figures are more representative of how most Territorians travel to work. For example, the walking figure for the NT as a whole is much higher than urban areas in the NT, which is likely to be due to the shorter distance required for the journey to work in rural and remote communities.

Northern Territory comparison with other States and Territories

Journey to work by motor vehicle, State and Territory comparison, 2011 88.0% 86.2% 86.2% 86.0% 84.7% 84.0% 84.0% 83.0%

82.0% 81.0%

80.0% 78.7% 78.0% 77.4%

76.0%

74.0%

72.0% NSW NT VIC WA ACT QLD SA TAS

Journey to work by public transport, State and Territory comparison, 2011

18.0% 16.8% 16.0% 13.6% 14.0% 11.7% 12.0%

10.0% 9.5% 8.3% 8.7% 8.0%

6.0% 5.2% 4.3% 4.0%

2.0%

0.0% TAS NT ACT SA QLD WA VIC NSW

Journey to work by cycling, State and Territory comparison, 2011

3.5% 3.3%

3.0% 2.8%

2.5%

2.0% 1.5% 1.5% 1.2% 1.3% 1.3% 0.9% 1.0% 0.8%

0.5%

0.0% TAS NSW SA QLD WA VIC ACT NT

Journey to work by walking, State and Territory comparison, 2011

14.0% 12.9%

12.0%

10.0%

8.0% 6.2% 6.0% 4.9% 4.9% 4.5% 3.9% 4.0% 4.0% 4.0%

2.0%

0.0% SA VIC WA QLD NSW ACT TAS NT

Journey to work mode share, States and Territories, 2011 100% 90% 80% 70%

60% Cycling 50% Walking 40% Public Transport 30% Motor Vehicle 20% 10% 0% TAS NT ACT SA QLD WA VIC NSW

Darwin and capital city comparisons

Journey to work by motor vehicle, Darwin comparison with capital cities, 2011

100% 84.2% 85.3% 85.4% 82.9% 86.2% 90% 78.6% 79.8% 80% 70.7% 70% 60% 50% 40% Percentage (%) Percentage 30% 20% 10% 0%

City

Journey to work by public transport, Darwin comparison with capital cities, 2011

25% 23.7%

20% 16.4% 15.3% 15% 13.0% 10.2%

Percentage (%) Percentage 10% 8.2% 6.9% 5.0% 5%

0%

City

Journey to work by cycling, Darwin comparison with capital cities, 2011

4% 3.1% 3% 2.8% 3% 2% 1.6% 1.3% 1.4% 2% 1.2% 1.1% 0.9%

Percentage (%) Percentage 1% 1% 0%

City

Journey to work by walking, Darwin comparison with capital cities, 2011

6.6% 7% 5.7% 6% 5.0% 4.8% 5% 3.7% 4% 3.5% 2.8% 3.0% 3%

Percentage (%) Percentage 2% 1% 0%

City

Journey to work by public transport, cycling and walking, Greater Darwin comparison with capital cities, 2011

25%

20%

15% Public Transport Cycled 10% Walked Percentage (%)

5%

0%

City

Darwin, Alice Springs and Regional Cities Comparison

Journey to work by motor vehicle Regional cities comparison - 2011 Census Data

92.7% 93.0% 94.0% 91.5% 91.6% 90.6% 91.3% Alice Springs 92.0% 89.6% 90.0% 88.3% Hobart 88.0% 86.0% 86.0% 84.6% Darwin 82.6% 84.0% Geelong 82.0% 80.0% Cairns 78.0% Launceston 76.0% Gladstone Mackay Townsville Albury - Wodonga City Toowoomba

Journey to work by public transport Regional cities comparison - 2011 Census Data 7.3% 8.0% 6.8% 7.0% Albury - Wodonga 6.0% 5.1% 4.4% 4.5% Toowoomba 5.0% 3.8% 4.0% 3.4% Townsville 2.7% 2.9% 3.0% Launceston 2.0% 1.3% 1.5% 1.0% Cairns 0.0% Mackay Gladstone Alice Springs Darwin City Geelong

Journey to work by cycling Regional cities comparison - 2011 Census data

6.0% 5.4% 5.0% Launceston 4.0% 3.1% Toowoomba 2.7% 3.0% 2.4% Hobart 2.0% 1.6% 1.1% 1.2% 1.2% 1.3% 1.4% Geelong 0.7% 1.0% Albury - Wodonga 0.0% Gladstone Mackay Townsville Cairns Darwin City

Journey to work by walking Regional cities comparison - 2011 Census data 7.5% 8.0% 6.9% Gladstone 7.0% 5.8% 5.7% 6.0% 4.6% Mackay 5.0% 4.3% 4.4% 3.6% 4.0% 3.0% 3.0% 3.3% Townsville 3.0% 2.0% Geelong 1.0% Cairns 0.0% Toowoomba Albury - Wodonga Launceston Darwin City Hobart

Darwin and Alice Springs journey to work mode (%) comparison with regional cities - 2011 census data 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% Walked 40% 30% Cycled 20% Public Transport 10% Motor Vehicle 0%