1304.5 - Stats Talk WA (Newsletter), Mar 2008  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 26/03/2008   
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Client Liaison
Summary of Events

ESCG & SSCG Review
The WA Office has commenced a review of the WA Economic and Social Consultative Group program. The aim of the review is to identify ways to improve cross-agency discussions related to data and statistical projects, both ABS and non-ABS, relevant to WA.

During this review clients from key state government departments and agencies will be approached for their views on the function and usefulness of the Economic and Social Consultative Group program. An emphasis of the review is to identify the key statistical issues and themes of interest to members, with a view to developing a discussion program around these.

Recommendations arising from the review will be implemented over the coming year.

Branch Restructure
The Client Services Branch and the Economic and Social Statistics Branch have recently amalgamated to create the Client and Statistical Services Branch. This restructure is part of an initiative to improve the ways in which the ABS provides services to its clients.

The new branch structure is as follows:
•Client Liaison and Information Services Section (contact Phil Smythe on 9360 5224)
•State Statistical Services (contact Trevor Draper on 9360 5394)
•Demography and Community Statistics (contact Lesley Martin on 9360 5320)
•Statistical Analysis (contact Gabriela Lawrence on 93605210).

Wavne Rikkers is the Director of the new branch and can be contacted on 9360 5385.

Spatial Sciences
WA ABS Regional Director Michael Tindall was invited to be a guest speaker at the Spatial Sciences Institute function held on 19th February.

The Spatial Sciences Institute is a national body catering for the professional people who make up the spatial information industry. It gives a voice to the members of the spatial science community in both the national and international arena.

The focus of Michael’s presentation was to demonstrate the strong link between statistics and maps.

Michael highlighted that by spatially enabling statistics, we are able to gain a better geographical understanding of the data and draw stronger, informative conclusions.