1344.8.55.002 - ABStract, Statistics News, Australian Capital Territory, Jul 2004  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 01/12/2004   
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All

Contents
A Message from the Regional Director
ACT Mapped Out
Measures of Australia's Progress
Australian Capital Territory in Focus
AusStats
Measuring Crime Victimisation
Recorded Crime - Victims, Australia (cat. no. 4510.0)
Industrial Disputes now an electronic quarterly
2002 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (cat. no. 4714.0)
New Australian energy statistics
Agricultural statistics
Australian Social Trends 2004 (cat. no. 4102.0
Working Arrangements, Australia (cat. no. 6342.0)
Waste Management Services, Australia, 2002-03 (cat. no. 8698.0)
Characteristics of Small Business, Australia, 2003 (cat.no. 8127.0)
Free Regional Profile now available on ABS web site
Information Consultancies
ABS Shopfront
Printed ABS publications can now be printed on-line
Remote Access Data Laboratory
Importers and Exporters
Advantaged and Disadvantaged Areas - SEIFA 2001
Invitation: Experimental Price Indexes for Financial Services seminar
Training opportunities
Expected major annual and irregular releases
Entry points to the ABS ACT office


A MESSAGE FROM THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR

\
The last four months have seen a range of major publications released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Australian Social Trends (cat. no. 4102.0) was released in June. The 2004 edition contains a number of feature articles on a wide range of social issues, including the impact of the baby boomers, Australia's ageing population, social interactions and paying for university education. Released in April was Measures of Australia's Progress (cat. no. 1370.0). This was the second release of this publication, which is a national summary of progress in Australia across the environmental, social and economic areas of life. Both publications provide valuable perspectives on Australian life in the 21st century.

Also released in June were the results from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (cat. no. 4714.0). This release contains a wide range of information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including in areas such as family and culture, health, employment and crime and justice. A separate report was released containing data relating to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

Still running is a promotion for the ABS' online statistical service, AusStats. The promotion allows for a $300 trial to the service, representing both great value for money and an opportunity to try an innovative way of accessing ABS products and data. For more information on this service, see AusStats below.

Finally, the National Regional Profiles have been released on the ABS web site. A range of free data is provided for each Statistical Local Area in Australia, providing both analysis of individual areas and ready comparison across areas.

Tracy Stewart
Regional Director, ACT
Australian Bureau of Statistics

ACT MAPPED OUT


A new publication ACT and Region...A Statistical Atlas (cat. no. 1381.8) was launched on Monday 5 April at the ACT Office by Tracy Stewart (ACT Regional Director).

The publication is the first of its kind for the ACT and surrounding region, and followed user demand for statistics about the region, rather than the ACT on its own. It showed a new view of the population, family and housing characteristics of the Australian Capital Territory and region, through a series of colour maps. It was designed to display the statistics in the form of an atlas to make the data easier for the public to understand.

At the launch, Tracy said, "Many members of our community do not have a strong affinity for statistics in their raw form that is, rows and rows of numbers in tables. This publication presents information about our region in a pictorial form through the use of maps and is a follow on from the successful and easy to use Social Atlas series released after each census".

Next year the Atlas will focus on different themes, with areas such as health, transport and education likely to be studied. The topics in this year's Atlas will be mapped again in 2009. The Atlas is available for purchase through the ABS Bookshop for $26. For further information please contact Fiona Wellsmore on (02) 6205 0032 or email fiona.wellsmore@abs.gov.au.
MEASURES OF AUSTRALIA'S PROGRESS


AUSTRALIAN STATISTICIAN, HONOURED WITH AWARD

The Australian statistician, Dennis Trewin has been honoured with an award from The Bulletin in recognition of the work the ABS has undertaken to further the advancement of the nation. Dennis topped the society category (one of ten categories) of The Bulletin's Smart 100 awards and was recognised for making a significant and positive contribution to Australian life. The award was for the ground breaking work undertaken by the ABS in producing the publication Measuring Australia's Progress (cat. no. 1370.0) (MAP). Dennis accepted the award at a ceremony at the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday 21 October 2003.

The US General Accounting office has since embarked on a similar exercise using MAP as its model (Mr. Trewin addressed its first major workshop on the project in February). Other countries, including Sweden and Ireland, and the OECD, are also considering using the MAP model.

The second issue of Measures of Australia's Progress was released on 21 April 2004. Described by the media when its first issue was released as 'about as close as any statistician can get to the meaning of life', this publication is designed as a national summary of progress in Australia across the environmental, social and economic areas of life. This issue contained a set of headline indicators on aspects of health, education, employment, income, crime and the environment, along with many other topics.
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY IN FOCUS


The 2004 edition of Australian Capital Territory In Focus (cat. no. 1307.8) will be released on 6 September this year.

This publication provides a detailed statistical review of social, economic, environmental and demographic characteristics of the ACT. Furthermore, it presents a qualitative analysis on topics such as climate, government, education, health, law and order, transport, tourism and housing. A chapter on the Australian Capital Region (ACR) is also included which contains a comprehensive range of statistics on the region's socio-economic situation, including income support data.

The statistics contained in this publication are the most recent available at the time of preparation. Information has not been restricted to ABS output. A wide range of data from other agencies, including Territory and Commonwealth agencies, have been included to give as broad a picture of the ACT as possible. Advance orders for the publication, priced at $50, can be made by contacting Carol Jennings.

For further information please contact Carol Jennings on (02) 6207 0446 or email carol.jennings@abs.gov.au.
AUSSTATS


The Australian Bureau of Statistics is currently offering, for a limited time, a $300 trial subscription to AusStats.

AusStats is an on-line ABS information service purchased by subscription. It is an integral part of www.abs.gov.au and gives you easy access to the ABS' standard product range.

Updated daily after 11:30am, AusStats offers:
  • All ABS publications from 1998 onwards in Adobe Acrobat format (pdf)
  • Over 2,000 spreadsheets of economic and social data
  • Multidimensional datasets in SuperTABLE format
  • 1996 and 2001 Census data

Free summary information includes Main Features, Release Advices, Media Releases, Directory of Statistical Sources, Statistical Concepts Library, specifically written Feature Articles, 2001 Census Snapshots, Basic Community Profiles and Australia Now, as well as extensive linking between related information.

Topics covered include: Agricultural Statistics; Balance of Payments and International Investment; Building and Construction; Consumer Income and Expenditure; Crime and Justice; Demography; Education; Finance; Environment; Health; Indigenous Statistics; International Trade; Labour Market; Manufacturing Statistics; Mining; National Accounts; Population and Migration; Prices; Producer and Foreign Trade Indexes; Public Sector; Retail and Service Industries; Social Statistics; Stocks and Manufacturers' Sales; Tourism; Transport; Welfare and Social Services; Reserve Bank of Australia and OECD data.

For more information and a demonstration, or to order this product, please contact Alan Masters on (02) 6207 0286 or email alan.masters@abs.gov.au.
MEASURING CRIME VICTIMISATION


Measuring Crime Victimisation in Australia: The impact of different collection methodologies (cat no 4522.0.55.001)

There are a number of ways in which individuals, the community and governments know about crime, and there are a number of different sources of statistics on crime. Users may ask which of the various statistics available are the 'right' ones. However, it is not a simple process to reduce such a complex social issue to a single set of numbers.

The expectation that different sources of crime victimisation statistics should produce similar figures forms the basis that one source or the other is wrong. Such expectations arise out of the false belief that different data sources are always measuring the same thing, and are utilising the same methodologies.

There are a range of national collections which present statistics on crime victimisation. One of the issues facing users of these data is determining which of the collections best meets their needs. In order to determine this, the statistics need to be well understood for them to be useful in making informed decisions.

The aim of this Information Paper is to increase understanding of the nature of crime victimisation measurement in Australia and why the findings from different data sources may differ. In order to facilitate this the Information Paper includes the following:
  • an outline of national crime victimisation statistics available from several different sources in the Australian context
  • comparisons between the statistics from these sources
  • methodological differences between survey sources
  • possible impacts of the methodological differences between the survey vehicles.

The Information Paper focuses predominately on survey methodology, however references are also made to differences between survey and administrative data. Statistics from the following two ABS administrative collections were utilised in the paper:
  • Recorded Crime - Victims, Australia (cat. no. 4510.0)
  • Causes of Death, Australia (cat. no. 3303.0).

Differences between and within administrative collections are discussed, and a working example using the two collections above is given. Statistics from four national survey collections were also included in the paper:
  • Crime and Safety, Australia, 2002 (cat. no. 4509.0)
  • General Social Survey, Australia, 2002 (cat. no. 4159.0)
  • Women's Safety Survey, Australia, 1996 (cat. no. 4128.0)
  • International Crime Victims Survey, 2000 (Australian component conducted by the Australian Institute of Criminology).

There are numerous elements that combine to make up a single survey methodology, and differences between surveys in one or more of these may impact on the overall data collection. Those outlined and investigated in the Information Paper include:
  • sample design and selection
  • scope and coverage
  • questionnaire format and content
  • survey procedure
  • response rate.

Ultimately users must decide which measure of crime is fit for their purpose. The information in this paper can help inform that decision.

The Information Paper is available on the ABS web site. Please email crime.justice@abs.gov.au if you have any queries about the paper, or would like further information.
RECORDED CRIME-VICTIMS, AUSTRALIA (CAT. NO. 4510.0)


This publication contains uniform national crime statistics relating to a selected range of offences that have become known to and recorded by police. The statistics provide indicators of the level and nature of recorded crime in Australia and a basis for measuring change over time.

National crime statistics are compiled on a victim basis and measure the number of victims for each offence category rather than the breaches of criminal law. This publication provides a breakdown of the offences by victim details (age of victim, sex of victim, relationship of offender to victim) and includes type of location, use of weapon, and outcome of police investigations statistics. Companion tables with detailed State/territory information are available separately. Price on application.

For further information regarding this publication email crime.justice@abs.gov.au.
INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES NOW AN ELECTRONIC QUARTERLY


Following the December 2003 issue, released in March 2004, the ABS replaced the current monthly publication Industrial Disputes, Australia (cat. no. 6321.0) with a quarterly electronic publication (cat. no. 6321.0.55.001), commencing with the March quarter 2004 issue. The December 2003 issue of 6321.0 was the final release in the form of a paper publication.

The quarterly electronic publication, containing a small number of summary tables, will be available free of charge from the ABS web site www.abs.gov.au or for ACT Government users, through ABS@. The move to an electronic publication containing summary tables, and the use of the ABS web site for distribution will provide for easier access to industrial disputes statistics.

More detailed tables will continue to be available as electronic spreadsheets, through the ABS web site, AusStats and ABS@ or on request, at applicable charges. The eight spreadsheets currently available electronically have been replaced with a new series of spreadsheets containing quarterly data. The current spreadsheets contain an extended time series (back to 1983) of the data that is provided in the monthly version of 6321.0.

The ABS is undertaking a user consultation, advising users of these changes and seeking their comments, to feed into decisions on the final make-up of the electronic publication and associated electronic spreadsheets.

We would appreciate your comments on the use you and your organisation make of the current electronic spreadsheets, and your suggestions for changes to the spreadsheets.

For further information contact Harry Kroon on (02) 6252 6753 or email harry.kroon@abs.gov.au.
2002 NATIONAL ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER SOCIAL SURVEY (CAT.NO. 4714.0)


First results from the 2002 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (formerly the Indigenous Social Survey) were released at the end of June 2004. The national publication presents a wide range of information about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in Australia. Topics include family and culture, health, education, employment, income, financial stress, housing, transport and mobility, as well as crime and justice. The report provides an overview through commentary and summary tables for different population groups and themes. More detailed information is presented in cross classified tables. The publication provides a range of information at the national level with some comparisons with the non-Indigenous population based on the 2002 General Social Survey. Some time-series information, as well as information at a state/territory level, is also provided. A similar set of tables is available for each state and territory including the ACT on the ABS web site.

For further information, contact the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics, 1800 633 216 or the ACT Office of the ABS on (02) 6207 0326.
NEW AUSTRALIAN ENERGY STATISTICS


New statistics on energy supply and use by Australian industry were released by the ABS on the 24th of March 2004 in the publication Detailed Energy Statistics, Australia 2001-02 (cat. no. 4648.0.55.001). The results show that in 2001-02 Australian industry used 1,959 PJ of energy for end-use purposes, and produced 216,316 GWh of electricity, 862,635 TJ of natural gas, 18,727 ML of petrol and 13,503 ML of diesel.

The main summary results, together with additional information on supply and use of renewable energy, uses of petroleum products, and electricity generated for own-use, are available at <www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/ABS@.nsf/mf/ 4648.0.55.001>. Detailed spreadsheets, with all fuel types and disaggregated state and industry breakdowns, are also available for download. For more information please contact Chris Alach on (02) 6252 6637 or email chris.alach@abs.gov.au.
AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS


Did you know that drought was the single most important factor affecting agricultural production in Australia in 2002-03? The 'one in a hundred year drought' saw harvests fall to levels significantly below normal years, and sheep numbers at the lowest level for more than 50 years.

If you would like to know more about the impact the drought has had on agricultural production and livestock the publications Principal Agricultural Commodities, Australia, (cat. no. 7111.0) and Value of Principal Agricultural Commodities Produced, Australia, (cat. no. 7501.0) will provide you with preliminary data from the 2002-03 Agricultural commodities survey and preliminary data from the Value of Agricultural Commodities survey 2002-03.

For further information about these publications or other Agricultural statistics please contact Gordon Cameron on (03) 6222 5939 or email
gordon.cameron@abs.gov.au.
AUSTRALIANS SOCIAL TRENDS 2004 (CAT.NO. 4102.0)

Australian Social Trends 2004 is the 11th edition of an annual series that presents information on contemporary social issues and areas of public policy concern. By drawing on a wide range of ABS statistics, and statistics from other official sources, Australian Social Trends describes aspects of Australian society, and how these are changing over time. It is designed to assist and encourage informed decision-making, and to be of value to a wide audience including those engaged in research, journalism, marketing, teaching and social policy, as well as anyone interested in how we live today and how we've changed over recent decades.

The material presented in Australian Social Trends 2004 is organised into eight chapters. As in previous editions, each of the first seven chapters represents a major area of social concern (i.e. population, family and community, health, education and training, work, economic resources, and housing), with an eighth chapter covering other areas of social concern (e.g. crime and justice, culture and leisure, and the environment). This edition also contains, for the first time, an introduction that expands on the rationale behind the publication and describes
its main aims and features.

The opportunity has been taken to present some articles which expand and update analysis of topics examined in previous editions using the most recently available data. For example, in this edition, such articles cover population projections, child care, home ownership, and religious affiliation. There are also articles, including several that utilise data from the ABS 2002 General Social Survey, which cover new topics of interest, such as social interactions outside home, families with no employed parent, and paying for university education. The national and state summary tables, which present key social indicators in each of the seven major areas of social concern have been updated, as have the tables comparing Australia with major OECD countries, our closest neighbours, and our trading partners. The number of articles listed in the cumulative index now comes to over 300, published across all 11 editions.

Australian Social Trends 2004 is available for purchase at the ABS Bookshop in Civic. An electronic version is available free on this site. For more information contact the Bookshop on 6207 0326.

WORKING ARRANGEMENTS, AUSTRALIA (CAT. NO. 6342.0)


This publication presents information about the working arrangements of employees, such as shift work, overtime, rostered days off and start and finish times. Statistics in this publication were obtained from the Working Arrangements Survey, conducted throughout Australia in November 2003 as a supplement to the ABS monthly Labour Force Survey (LFS). Data from the survey relate to employed persons aged 15 years and over who worked in their main job for an employer (and either received remuneration in wages or salary, received a retainer fee from their employer while working on a commission basis, or were paid in tips or piece-rates) or operated their own incorporated enterprise with or without employees. Persons aged 15-19 years who were attending school were excluded from the survey.

The survey collected details about the working arrangements of employees, formal and informal child care, absences from work and trade union membership. This information is cross-classified by a range of employment characteristics such as whether full-time or part-time employee in main job, leave entitlements, occupation and industry, as well as personal characteristics such as sex, age and whether they have children under 12 years of age.

Working Arrangements, Australia, 2004 is available for purchase at the ABS Bookshop in Civic for $24 or available for purchase on line. For more information contact the Bookshop on (02) 6207 0326.
WASTE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, AUSTRALIA, 2002-03 (CAT. NO. 8698.0)


Waste Management Services, Australia, 2002-03 presents final results from an ABS survey of employing private and public trading businesses involved in waste management services, and preliminary results for the waste management activities of the general government sector. The survey was conducted in respect of the 2002-03 financial year. The 2002-03 Waste Management Services Survey is the second ABS survey on this topic, with the previous collection being conducted in respect of the 1996-97 financial year.

Results for the general government sector are preliminary only. Final results for this sector will be available in August 2004. Inquiries about these should be made by telephoning Marie Apostolou on (03) 9615 7465.

For further information, or to purchase this publication for $22, please contact the ABS Bookshop in Civic on (02) 6207 0326 or available for purchase on line.
CHARACTERISTICS OF SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIA, 2003 (CAT. NO. 8127.0)


This publication presents the results of the Characteristics of Small Business Owners Survey which was conducted in June 2003 as a supplementary topic in the ABS monthly Labour Force Survey. This survey of households addressed a number of aspects of the operations of small business as well as identifying the characteristics of small business operators. The survey covers all private sector, non-agricultural small businesses. Similar surveys were previously conducted in February 1995, February 1997, November 1999 and June 2001. The ABS conducted the survey in June 2004 to be followed by an expanded version in June 2005.

Characteristics of Small Business, Australia, 2003 is available for purchase at the ABS Bookshop in Civic for $31. For more information contact the Bookshop on (02) 6207 0326.
FREE REGIONAL PROFILE NOW AVAILABLE ON ABS WEB SITE


As mentioned in an earlier edition of ABStract, the Rural and Regional Statistics National Centre in South Australia has been working on a project to improve the visibility and coherence of regional data on the ABS web site.

Released in March, the National Regional Profile is a free, web based product, which allows you to download a spreadsheet containing a range of indicator information for a standard area of your choice.

Access to the National Regional Profile facility is through the new Regional Statistics icon on the ABS home page, which contains not only a link to the National Regional Profile, but also information about other aspects of the program that may be of interest to you including additional regional products with state specific data series and comparative information.

Information is available for local government areas, statistical local areas, statistical subdivisions, statistical divisions, states/territories as well as at the Australia level. The National Regional Profile combines a range of ABS and non-ABS information within an easy to use facility including data on population, births and deaths, remoteness, unemployment, income support customer numbers, wage and salary earners, new vehicle sales and building approvals.

To obtain information about the region of your choice, use the drill-down map facility or choose the selected region’s name from a pick list. The choice is yours, and remember, the National Regional Profile is free.

Presently the National Regional Profile contains data for only one year. The next version, expected to be released early in 2005, will contain a five year time series for each region. It is also anticipated that over time, the suite of indicators will grow.

For further information please contact Cynthia Millar on (08) 8237 7348 or email cynthia.millar@abs.gov.au.
INFORMATION CONSULTANCIES


The ACT Regional Office offers an information consultancy service to ACT government, businesses and individuals. Information consultants can provide a wide range of ABS data tailored to meet your individual needs.

Consultants can:
  • provide tailored reports with tables, commentary, graphs and maps highlighting the characteristics of your target market
  • customise demographic and other data for planning service delivery
  • provide data for the most recent period available or extending back on a time-series basis

Information consultants can provide you with a variety of information including:
  • Economic Statistics

Economic statistics can be used by individual businesses to benchmark business operations, assess market share and monitor trends. Economic information is commonly available by state or more often, by business or industry segment. ABS collections also monitor a wide range of economic activities, including: new motor vehicle registrations, building and construction activity, retail trade and manufacturing activity.
  • International Trade Statistics

These comprehensive and up-to-date statistics are among the most valuable decision making tools available to businesses competing in the import and export field. If you are interested in imports and exports, international trade statistics can provide monthly updates on the commodities that interest you. Tailored, easily interpreted statistical reports can be prepared on either an ad hoc or subscription basis.
  • Demographic Statistics

Much of the demographic information comes from the five yearly census of population and housing, and ABS consultants can provide information cross classified (for example age by sex by occupation) to your requirements. This information is available for areas including as few as 250 households, or larger areas such as state or whole of Australia.
  • Social Statistics

This information is drawn from a wide range of ABS collections.
  • AusStats subscriptions

AusStats is a web based information service providing you with the ABS' full standard product range (both free and charged material) on-line. Subscribing to AusStats allows easier distribution of information within an organisation, eliminating the need to purchase multiple hard copy publications. AusStats allows you to conveniently access:
  • All ABS publications from 1998 onwards in Adobe Acrobat format (pdf)
  • Over 2,000 spreadsheets containing economic and social time series data
  • Data Cubes in the form of multidimensional datasets in SuperTABLE format and Excel spreadsheets
  • 1996 and 2001 Census Data

For further information on these services or any other inquiries please contact Carol Jennings on (02) 6207 0446 or email carol.jennings@abs.gov.au.
ABS SHOPFRONT


The ABS ACT office shopfront is open Monday to Friday between 9:00am and 4:30pm. Please feel free to drop in and discover the diverse range of ABS products.

Visiting the ABS shopfront provides an opportunity to access a rich range of ABS publications, maps and data products. The ABS shopfront also has professionally trained staff available to assist you with these products or consultancies.

For more information contact the ACT Office Bookshop on (02) 6207 0326
PRINTED ABS PUBLICATIONS CAN NOW BE PRINTED ON-LINE


The ABS 'e-Commerce' facilities have been upgraded to allow clients to order and pay for printed publications on-line.


For selected publications, users will be given an additional option to order printed publications, in addition to the normal download (electronic) option. Users will then pay for their orders via the CommWeb banking web site, and the order will be fulfilled by the ABS print contractor in a similar manner to that currently in place for 2001 Census maps.

Most current issue publications will be available for purchase on-line. Later on, printed copies of previous editions of some publications will become available on-line. The following types of publication, however, will not be made available for purchase in printed form via e-Commerce:
  • publications that are provided free of charge on the ABS web site
  • publications produced by the ABS print contractor that are out of stock
  • early issues of publications that have been saved as a pdf file from a scanned image of the hard-copy publication.

For further information contact Keith Gilligan on (02) 6252 6521 or keith.gilligan@abs.gov.au.
REMOTE ACCESS DATA LABORATORY


An important component of the ABS output strategy to maximise the amount of data available has been to support secondary analysis through access to microdata in the form of confidentialised unit record files (CURFs). However, the needs of researchers and policy makers have to be balanced with the ABS obligation to protect the identities of households and individuals. The ABS will continue to provide CURFs on CD-ROM. However a new system, the Remote Access Data Laboratory (RADL), will facilitate access to confidentialised microdata beyond that which can be provided on CD-ROM. The RADL provides access to this data from the client's desktop via secure web-based communication links, or in some cases through an on-site data laboratory arrangement.

Clients can submit tailored queries to produce aggregated output according to their research needs. Restrictions on the nature of queries that can be run will ensure that resultant output does not constitute a threat to confidentiality. It is this level of control and user-transparency that will allow the ABS to safely provide CURF files on this system which have a greater level of detail than has previously been possible. Future features of RADL may support the analysis of augmented files and the ability to incorporate user-supplied statistical models.

For further information on the Remote Access Data Laboratory please email RADL@abs.gov.au.
IMPORTERS AND EXPORTERS


Two articles, Australia's Exporters, 2002-03 and Australia's Importers, 2002-03 were published recently. They contain estimates of the total number of exporters and importers of goods and services in Australia, including the number of goods exporters by state (based on state of production of exports and state of location of business). An analysis by industry also contains the value of exports/imports, size of business and export patterns. The articles can be accessed free from the ABS web site, by first selecting 'Themes', then 'International Trade', then 'Topics of Interest'.



ADVANTAGED AND DISADVANTAGED AREAS-SEIFA 2001


SEIFA (Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas) 2001 is a product developed especially for those interested in the assessment of the welfare of Australian communities.

These indexes show where the affluent (as opposed to just high income earning) live; where disadvantaged (as opposed to the unemployed) live; and where the highly skilled and educated (as opposed to the tertiary educated people) live.

The four indexes are:
  • Index of advantage/disadvantage -

A new index for SEIFA 2001. This index is a continuum of advantage to disadvantage and is available for both urban and rural areas. Low values indicate areas of disadvantage, and high values indicate areas of advantage. It takes into account variables such as the proportion of families with high incomes, people with a tertiary education and employees in skilled occupations.
  • Index of disadvantage -

This index is derived from attributes such as income, educational attainment, unemployment and dwellings without motor vehicles. In particular it focuses on low income earners, relatively lower educational attainment and high unemployment.
  • Index of economic resources -

Variables for this index include those relating to the income, expenditure and assets of families, such as family income, rent paid, mortgage repayments and dwelling size.
  • Index of education and occupation -

This index includes variables relating to the educational and occupational characteristics of communities, such as the proportion of people with a higher qualification or those employed in a skilled occupation. SEIFA 2001 provides information and rankings for a wide range of geographic areas from small areas such as a Collection District (CD) to large areas such as statistical divisions. Alternatively, users will be able to customise areas to their own specifications.

Geographic areas available are:
  • ASGC main structure; collection district, statistical local area, statistical sub-division, statistical division and state.
  • Local government area structure; local government area, statistical local area and collection district.
  • Census specific hierarchies; Commonwealth electoral divisions, state electoral divisions, postal area and suburbs.

SEIFA 2001 is available as a stand-alone product or as an add-on datapack to CDATA 2001. The ABS has developed indexes to allow ranking of regions/areas, providing a method of determining the level of social and economic well-being in each region.

For more information, please contact Alan Masters on (02) 6207 0286 or email alan.masters@abs.gov.au.
INVITATION: EXPERIMENTAL PRICE INDEXES FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES SEMINAR


For some years now there has been considerable community interest in the prices paid by households for financial services. An outcome of a review of the CPI in 1997 was a commitment by the ABS to develop a price index for financial services for eventual inclusion in the CPI. This index was to be designed to cover the explicit fees and charges paid by households as well as any indirect costs embodied in interest margins.

The results of the ABS' investigations are contained in Information Paper: Experimental Price Indexes for Financial Services (cat. no. 6413.0). The ABS is hosting a series of seminars around Australia to discuss these results. If you wish to attend the seminar, please register your interest with the person nominated below.

The seminar will be held on Monday, 26 July at 10:00am at:

Knibbs Auditorium
Ground Floor
ABS House
45 Benjamin Way
Belconnen ACT

For further information or to register your interest, please contact Melinda Small on (02) 6252 6111 or email melinda.small@abs.gov.au.
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES


The ACT Regional Office is offering a variety of statistical training courses during 2004. A flier will be sent out soon regarding dates and registration forms for the remainder of 2004. Please contact Victoria Allen if you would like to be added to the mailing list.

Statistical courses are primarily aimed at ACT Government employees but are also of value to anyone who produces, or uses, statistics in decision making, and particularly for people who make use of ABS data on a regular basis.

The courses will provide a unique opportunity for you to receive statistical training in conjunction with other staff from a wide range of ACT Government departments and agencies.

We now have 5 regular courses running:

Making Quality Informed Decisions is a two day training course which educates participants in the use of the data quality framework when making decisions based on statistics.

Key issues to be covered include:
  • The six aspects of data quality
  • Clarification of data needs using the data quality framework
  • Ability to assess the quality of data in the context of the data need
  • Use results of data evaluation to apply risk management principles and make informed decisions
  • Overview of free data available to ACT Government through the ABS@ACT Government service

Turning Data Into Information is a two day course that develops skills in interpreting, communicating and displaying data clearly and effectively. This course is especially relevant for people who are involved with monitoring and evaluation within a social context.

Course Benefits:
  • ability to understand how the collection and compilation of data affects its usefulness, quality and relevance
  • ability to communicate results and write effective reports
  • ability to construct good tables and graphs
  • ability to recognise the pitfalls in analysis

Understanding Census Data is a one day course designed to educate participants on what Census data is available, where it is, what it means and how to use it.

At the end of the course you should:
  • Be able to work out the best Census data items to use for your purposes
  • Know where to find products containing these data
  • Understand the uses of various geographic areas in Census data
  • Know which type of population count to use in which circumstances
    Be able to perform some basic interpretation on Census data
  • Understand the limitations and pitfalls in using the Census as a data source

Understanding Demographic Data is a one day seminar which aims to help participants better understand demographic trends and utilise demographic data. The seminar provides awareness of demographic data produced by the ABS and gives an introduction to demographic techniques which enable comparisons of demographic data between regions over time.

Key issues to be covered during the seminar include:
  • Relationship of Population Census counts to Estimated Resident Population data
  • Components of population growth, births, deaths and internal and overseas migration
  • Changing demographic trends • How the ABS produces projections and population estimates
  • Tools for demographic analysis
  • Population dynamics

Understanding Labour Statistics is a one day course providing an overview of the range of concepts and issues associated with ABS labour statistics. It explores the data produced by both household and employer based collections, and highlights the range of products available to access labour-related data.

The course will consist of the following sessions:
  • Overview of ABS labour collections
  • Labour supply and labour demand
  • Measures of underutilised labour
  • Labour market dynamics
  • Describing employment conditions
  • Information about population groups (includes regions, indigenous persons)
  • Earnings and labour costs
  • Industrial relations
  • Guide to ABS data sources (includes publications, spreadsheets, datacubes, standard errors, original/trend and seasonally adjusted)

If you are interested in any of the above mentioned courses please do not hesitate to contact Victoria Allen on (02) 6207 0277 or email victoria.allen@abs.gov.au for further information and booking details.
EXPECTED MAJOR ANNUAL AND IRREGULAR RELEASES


GENERAL

1259.0.30.001 Australian Standard Geographical Classification, 2004 (August)

1294.0.55.001 Information Paper: ANZSIC 2006 Development, 2004 (August)

1307.8 Australian Capital Territory in Focus, 2004 (September)

1314.8 Australian Capital Territory at a Glance, 2004 (September)

1371.0 Book Retailers, 2002-03 (August)

CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING

2009.0 Information paper: 2006 Census of Population and Housing, ABS Views on Census Output Strategy, 2006 ( September)

2051.0 Australian Census Analytic Program: Caring Labour in Australia's Community Services, 2001 (September)

2053.0 Australian Census Analytic Program: Australia's Most Recent Immigrants, 2001 (July)

DEMOGRAPHY

3238.0 Experimental Estimates and projections of Indigenous Australians, 1911 to 2016 (July)

SOCIAL

4130.0.55.001 Housing Occupancy and Costs, Australia, 2002-03 (August)

4172.0 Cultural Trends in Australia: A Statistical Overview, 2004 (July)

4183.0 Cultural Funding by Government, Australia, 2002-03 (July)

4232.0.55.001 Information paper: Measuring Learning in Australia: Dictionary of Standards for Education and Training Statistics, 2004 (July)

4436.0.55.001 Caring in the Community, Australia, 2003 (September)

4523.0 Sexual Assault in Australia: A Statistical Overview, 2004 (August)

4708.0 Occasional Paper: Population Measurement Issues, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 2001 (October)

4718.0 Occasional Paper: A Comparative Study of 2001 Census Counts and Administive Data for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, 2001 (October)

EDUCATION

4231.0 Information Paper: Measuring learning in Australia - Plan to improve the Quality, Coverage and Use of Education and training, 2003 (July)

HEALTH

4390.0 Private Hospitals, Australia, 2002-03 (July)

4430.0 Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings, 2003 (September)

4827.0.55.001 The Health of Older People, Australia, 2001 (October)

4828.0.55.001 Characteristics of People Reporting Good or Better Health, 2001 (August)

8916.0 Cancer, Australia, 2001 (July)

ENVIRONMENT

4614.0 Information Paper: An Alternate Industry View of the Environment Industry: Waste Management and Recycling Services, 2004 (September)

NATIONAL ACCOUNTS, INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND FINANCE

5611.0 Finance, Australia, 2003-04 (October)

LABOUR STATISTICS AND PRICES

6225.0 Information Paper: Persons in Own Business, Experimental Estimates for Small Areas, 1996-97 to 2000-01 (September)

6413.0 Information paper: Experimental Price Indexes for Financial Services, 1998 to 2003 (July)

6429.0 Producer and International Trade Price Indexes: Concepts, Sources and Methods, 2004 (July)

6523. Household Income and Income Distribution, Australia, 2002-03 (July)

6524.0 Information Paper: Experimental Estimates of Income and Household Disposable Income for Small Areas, 1996-97 to 2000-01 (September)

AGRICULTURE

7113.0 Agriculture, Australia, 2001-02 (July)

7503.0 Value of Agricultural Commodities Produced, Australia, 2002-03 (September)

INDUSTRY WIDE STATISTICS

8104.0 Research and Experimental Development, Businesses, Australia, 2002-03 (August)

8109.0 Research and Experimental Development, Government and Private Non-Profit Organisations, Australia, 2002-03 (August)

8112.0 Research and Experimental Development, All Sector Summary, Australia, 2002-03 (August)

8119.0 Government Technology, Australia, 2002-03 (July)

8126.0 Information and Communication Technology, Australia, 2002-03 (August)

8146.0 Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2002-03 (July)

8150.0 Use of Information Technology on Farms, Australia, 2002-03 (September)

MANUFACTURING AND ENERGY

8221.0 Manufacturing Industry, Australia, 2001-02 (August)

8226.0 Electricity, Gas, Water and Sewerage Operations, Australia, 2001-02 (July)

8226.0 Electricity, Gas, Water and Sewerage Operations, Australia, 2002-03 (August)

SERVICE INDUSTRIES

8679.0 Television, Film and Video Production, Australia (July)

TRANSPORT

9208.0 Survey of Motor Vehicle Use, Australia, 1 November 2002 to 31 October 2003 (October)
ENTRY POINTS TO THE ABS ACT OFFICE

BOOKSHOP
Office Hours: 9am to 4.30pm Mon to Fri Level 5
QBE Insurance Building
33 Ainslie Avenue
Canberra City
Ph: (02) 6207 0326
Fax: (02) 6207 0282
POSTAL ADDRESS:ACT ABS Office
Locked Bag 10
BELCONNEN ACT 2616
NATIONAL DIAL A STATISTIC LINE
(for main economic indicators other than CPI)
1900 986 400
(75c per minute)
CPI INFORMATION LINE1902 981 074
(75c per minute)
WEB SITE:https://www.abs.gov.au
NATIONAL INFORMATION AND REFERRAL SERVICE
Telephone
Fax
Email
1300 135 070
1300 135 211
client.services@abs.gov.au
ABS ACT REGIONAL CONTACTS:
Regional Director: Tracy Stewart
Assistant Director: Brent Perkins
Project and Information Manager: Carol Jennings
Project and Information Manager: Sue Spearritt
Project and Information Manager: Antony Perera
02 6207 0283
02 6207 0244
02 6207 0446
02 6207 0484
02 6207 0315