National Network Analysis

At the national level most planning is done at the corridor level, and there are few tools for analysing the network as a whole. TransPosition has developed one of the first, unified models for the whole country. The model was initially developed for the AUSTROADS Rural Accessibility Project, where it considered travel by road, and used ABS Statistical Local Areas (SLA) as the basic unit for analysis. The model has been used to assess changes to the National Highway, and to consider major new infrastructure projects (such as the Outback Highway, and Pacific Motorway upgrades). The model has also been used for more local analysis, such as the analysis of flood mitigation measures in North Queensland.

TransPosition is in the process of incorporating the new 4S modelling approach into the national model. The initial work is still being done for roads only, but the system will allow for a multi-modal national model to be developed. The key inputs to this are the national rail and air links. The new model treats urban and non urban areas using the same approach. Significantly, this will allow urban projects to be considered and compared using the same tools. It will also allow projects in different cites to be compared on a consistent basis.