1301.6.55.001 - Tasmanian Statistical News, Jun 2010  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 08/06/2010   
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This document was added or updated on 18/06/2010.

HOT TOPICS



Have you ever wondered how much Tasmanians earn?
Net interstate and overseas migration - who is moving to and from Tasmania?
Early childhood development - what is the Australian Early Development Index?
Tasmanian government schools' improvement reports 2009


HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW MUCH TASMANIANS EARN?

There are regular Australian Bureau of Statistics publications that report earnings for the whole state such as Average Weekly Earnings (cat. no. 6302.0) but what about smaller areas in Tasmania?

Results from the recently released Wage and Salary Earner Statistics for Small Areas, Time Series, 2003-04 to 2006-07 (cat. no. 5673.0.55.003) reveal that the highest Tasmanian average wage and salary incomes in 2006-07 were recorded for the following Local Government Areas (LGAs):

Average wage and salary income ($)
Average annual growth rate of average income (%)
Local Government Area
2006-07
2003-04 to 2006-07

West Coast
41,213
6.2
Hobart
40,842
3.8
Kingborough
37,355
3.7
Clarence
37,242
4.1
West Tamar
35,911
3.9
Burnie
35,764
4.4
George Town
35,400
3.8
Waratah/Wynyard
34,961
4.6



Tasmanian LGAs that recorded the lowest earnings during the same time period included:

Average wage and salary income ($)
Average annual growth rate of average income (%)
Local Government Area
2006-07
2003-04 to 2006-07

Tasman
27,712
3.9
Break O'Day
28,024
5.0
Glamorgan/Spring Bay
28,755
3.2
Dorset
29,135
0.9
Southern Midlands
30,628
4.1
Huon Valley
30,782
5.2
Flinders
31,448
6.3
Kentish
31,727
3.9



The data cubes in the release contain cross-tabulations of the characteristics of wage and salary earners such as age, sex, occupation and wage and salary income for the years 2003-04 to 2006-07.

Most of the data are presented for each Statistical Local Area (SLA) and Local Government Area (LGA) in Australia.

Data have been compiled from the Australian Taxation Office's (ATO) Individual Income Tax Return Database and are part of the Australian Bureau of Statistics' program to increase the range of regional statistics available, particularly through the use of administrative information from other government agencies.

The Main Features of this latest release includes analysis of the growth of wage and salary income over 2003-04 to 2006-07 at different regional levels (e.g. a table showing capital city/balance of state, maps of Statistical Local Areas) and there are key findings for each state/territory.

Also included is a more 'in depth' analysis of the regions in one state (Western Australia) as an example of how the data can be used to explore the characteristics of regions at a small area level.
NET INTERSTATE AND OVERSEAS MIGRATION - WHO IS MOVING TO AND FROM TASMANIA?

In 2008-09, the bulk of those who came from other parts of Australia to Tasmania (72%) were from the eastern states: Queensland (3,654), Victoria (3,216), and New South Wales (2,703). For those Tasmanians who moved to other parts of Australia in 2008-09, over three quarters moved to those same three states: 3,618 to Queensland, 3,616 to Victoria, and 2,283 to New South Wales.

Overall the net migration gain for Tasmania from interstate in 2008-09 was 672 persons. Most of that gain was from New South Wales (+420 persons), Western Australia (+382), and South Australia (+247). Net migration losses were recorded to Victoria (-400) and the Australian Capital territory (-30) in the same period.

In 2008-09, Tasmania recorded losses of persons aged 15-29 years (636 males and 547 females) while every other age group recorded gains.

Overseas arrivals to Tasmania totalled 4,249 persons in 2008-09 while 2,105 Tasmanians moved overseas in the same period, leaving a net overseas migration gain to Tasmania of 2,144 persons.

The total population movements in and out of Tasmania in the period 2005-2009 was a gain of 8,000 persons from overseas and a loss of 300 people to other parts of Australia.

ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES, TASMANIA

Graph: Arrivals and Departures, Tasmania, 2005-09
NET MIGRATION, TASMANIA

Graph: Net Migration, Tasmania, 2005-09

For more information, see Australian Demographic Statistics (cat. no. 3101.0) and Migration, Australia ( cat. no. 3412.0).

Also of interest is the recently released Demographic Change Advisory Council's (DCAC) latest Information Paper, Migration Trends in Tasmania which highlights migration in and out of Tasmania between 2001 and 2006. A copy of the Information Paper can be found on the DCAC website at www.dcac.tas.gov.au.
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT - WHAT IS THE AUSTRALIAN EARLY DEVELOPMENT INDEX?

The Australian Early Development Index (AEDI) is a measure of young children's development.

Some years ago, the Australian Government recognised a need for all communities to have information about early childhood development. As a consequence, the AEDI was developed, with information collected about children in their first year of full-time school.

In 2009, the AEDI was completed nationwide for the first time. Between 1 May and 31 July, information was collected for 97.5% of the estimated five-year-old population in Australia.

Teachers completed a checklist which measured five key areas (or domains), of early childhood development:
  • Physical health and wellbeing
  • Social competence
  • Emotional maturity
  • Language and cognitive skills (school-based)
  • Communication skills and general knowledge

These areas are closely linked to the predictors of good adult health, education and social outcomes.

The data was used to help create a snapshot of the early childhood development outcomes of Australian children.


What did it show for Tasmania in 2009?

Overall, the average scores for all key areas were the same as for Australia, except for language and cognitive skill (school-based) where Tasmania scored slightly higher than the national total.

The only key area where the percentage of children deemed to be 'developmentally vulnerable' was higher in Tasmania than Australia was for physical health and wellbeing.

The percentage of Tasmanian children classed as 'developmentally at risk' was higher than that for all Australian children for all the key areas except for language and cognitive skill (school-based).

The largest difference between Tasmania and Australia for those children who were on track (and above the 50th percentile) for all key areas was for language and cognitive skill (school-based) where the percentage for Tasmanian children was almost 10% higher.

Developmentally vulnerable
Developmentally at risk
On Track
Average score (0-10)
Below the 10th percentile
Between the 10th and 25th percentile
Between the 25th and 50th percentile
Above the 50th percentile
Key area
%
%
%
%
%

1. Physical health and wellbeing
Tasmania
9.6
10.0
13.5
22.5
54.0
Australia
9.6
9.3
13.0
21.7
56.0
2. Social competence
Tasmania
9.2
8.6
16.2
23.2
51.9
Australia
9.2
9.5
15.2
22.8
52.6
3. Emotional maturity
Tasmania
8.7
8.5
15.6
24.7
51.2
Australia
8.7
8.9
15.5
25.4
50.2
4. Language and cognitive skills (school-based)
Tasmania
9.6
7.7
11.7
18.9
61.7
Australia
9.2
8.9
14.0
24.9
52.3
5. Communication skills and general knowledge
Tasmania
9.4
7.0
17.0
18.6
57.4
Australia
9.4
9.2
15.8
20.2
54.8



For more information about the Australian Early Development Index, see the 2009 Report on the AEDI website at www.rch.org.au.
TASMANIAN GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS' IMPROVEMENT REPORTS 2009

The Tasmanian Minister for Education and Skills recently released Tasmania's Education Performance Report 2009 - Government Schools.

This is the third annual snapshot of the public education system in Tasmania. The release enables comparisons of achievement and improvement since 2007 on a range of measures in the areas of:
  • the early years
  • literacy and numeracy
  • student retention
  • school improvement
  • equity

Reports on each government school for each of the years 2007, 2008 and 2009 on each of these measures can be accessed at the school improvement website.

Information on some of the measurement issues involved in the data production can be accessed from the technical notes, also available from the school improvement website.