The development of robust, economical transport infrastructure has been identified as a key driver to sovereign economic growth. Notwithstanding the value of undeveloped mineral resources, unless they can be brought to market they are of little value. Within a global context, the continent of Africa probably faces one of the most significant transport driven economic development programs as countries strive to unlock their much sought after resources.The UN's Africa Review Report on Transport (United Nations Economic and Social Council, 2009) provides an excellent context for the issue facing African countries and the potential for investment in transport to solve many of the intrinsic problems they are confronted with. With little exception, economic development in Africa is very likely to be driven off the back' of transport development - and more specifically from heavy-haul rail as a means by which economic wealth can be derived from export of the continent's vast natural and mineral resources to the world. The report found: transport is a key driver of economic development and poverty reduction; road transport is the most dominant mode in Africa; the Cost to Market' of African goods is hampered by the reliance upon road transport; the cost of road transport is not just economic - 19 per cent of the world's road fatalities were recorded on African roads; African railways are seen to be disjointed and under-utilised; Africa's ports are key to export trade - yet only six ports (three in Egypt, and three in South Africa) handle about 50 per cent of the continent's total container traffic; the cost of transport is increasing making African trade even less competitive; and significant negative impacts of Africa's reliance on road transport - health, and greenhouse emissions._x000D_
We understand that mining the resource is only part of the solution - it has to be put to market at a competitive landed cost.Most African countries face huge costs associated with transport development and ongoing operation - in many cases beyond their available resources.The Australian rail industry has faced and solved many of these challenges._x000D_
FORMAL CITATION:Devencorn, K and Pey, A, 2011. Australian innovation in African heavy-haul rail, in Proceedings Second International Future Mining Conference 2011, pp 113-120 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).