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This issue of the National Regional Profile uses the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC). The ASGC is being progressively replaced by the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) from July 2011 and the next issue of the National Regional Profile will use the Australian Statistical Geography Standard.

This National Regional Profile (NRP) uses two structures of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC): the Main Structure and the Local Government Area Structure.

Local Government Area structure
Statistical Local Areas and other regions in the Main Structure

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA STRUCTURE

The Local Government Area Structure of the ASGC covers only incorporated areas of Australia. Incorporated areas are legally designated parts of states and territories over which incorporated local governing bodies have responsibility. The major areas of Australia not administered by incorporated bodies are the northern parts of South Australia, most of the Northern Territory and all of the Australian Capital Territory.

The NRP uses only the Local Government Area level of the Local Government Area Structure hierarchy.

As the Local Government Area Structure does not cover the whole of Australia, the data in the Local Government Area profiles in the NRP do not aggregate to the data in the profiles for State/Territory or Australia.

What is the relationship between the Local Government Area (LGA) Structure and SLAs?

Each LGA is comprised of one or more SLAs.

An example of a one-to-one relationship is Cockburn (C) SLA in Western Australia (see Map 2) which has the same boundary as the LGA of City of Cockburn.

An example of a one-to-many relationship is the LGA of East Gippsland Shire in Victoria (shown in Map 1), which is comprised of four SLAs.

Map 1: The LGA of East Gippsland Shire

Graphic: Map of East Gippsland Shire


See Chapter 3 of the 'Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC)' publication for further information about the Local Government Area Structure of the ASGC, and Chapter 15 for a table showing LGAs and their corresponding SLAs. This publication can be accessed from the Downloads tab of Australian Standard Geographical Classification, 2008 (cat. no. 1216.0).

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STATISTICAL LOCAL AREAS AND OTHER REGIONS IN THE MAIN STRUCTURE

The Main Structure of the ASGC is used to collect and disseminate a broad range of ABS statistics. The NRP uses the following regions:

Australia
- State/Territory
- Statistical Division
- Statistical Subdivision
- Statistical Local Area

Each level of regions aggregates to the next level above. For example, Statistical Local Areas aggregate to Statistical Subdivisions, which aggregate to Statistical Divisions, and so on.

What is a Statistical Local Area?

The Statistical Local Area (SLA) is a general purpose spatial unit used to collect and disseminate statistics. SLAs are based on the boundaries of incorporated bodies of local government where they exist. Where there is no incorporated body of local government, SLAs are defined to cover the unincorporated areas.

An example of Statistical Local Areas is shown in Map 2. The Statistical Subdivision of South West Metropolitan in Western Australia is comprised of seven SLAs (Cockburn (C), East Fremantle (T), Fremantle (C) - Inner, Fremantle (C) - Remainder, Kwinana (T), Melville (C) and Rockingham (C)).


Map 2: The Statistical Subdivision of South West Metropolitan in Western Australia

Graphic: Map of South West Metropolitan Statistical Subdivision


See Chapter 3 of the 'Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC)' publication for further information about the Local Government Area Structure of the ASGC. This publication can be accessed from the Downloads tab of Australian Standard Geographical Classification, 2008 (cat. no. 1216.0). Maps for all States and Territories are also available in the Downloads section of this release.

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