Page tools: Print Page Print All | |||
3.0 Data issues this review will not address
The requirement for an industry dimension to SMVU data was not very significant. Since those stakeholders who do require an industry dimension, are deriving it from the published commodity detail, the ABS will not pursue other solutions for this data need as part of this review. The ABS is willing to reconsider this data need at a later time, should users indicate that inadequate information is available for specific decision making and policy formation. 3.2 Cross sector use of transport data: environmental impacts Description of the data issue Environment statistics have an important and emerging role in transport data considerations, with the estimation of pollution emissions becoming increasingly important in research and modelling work. Environmental modellers/researchers require data to enable the production of estimates and forecasts on greenhouse gas emissions by industry and households. Researchers require data on road congestion and vehicle noise pollution for the purposes of assessing 'states of the local environment'. Researchers also require measures of the economy's 'eco-efficiency', which encompasses the identification of transport related environmental externalities attributable to economic growth and consumption. TSUG members do not consider that the ABS has a substantial role other than providing core data that might be used by analysts and modellers. Quantitative description of pollution emissions at low levels of geography was judged by TSUG, to be clearly outside the scope of ABS' national statistics activities. TSUG also considered that measurement of transport wastes is an issue of minor importance and beyond the scope of the ABS transport statistics collections. This was confirmed during the stakeholder consultation process. Environmental researchers' primary SMVU data requirements relate to modelling needs of accurate VKT estimates and average fuel consumption by vehicle type. An important input into emission modelling work is a detailed age-based breakdown of fuel consumption by vehicle type. This is important for updating the fuel consumption parameters of these models. Other than using population density data for identifying significant regions of planning and policy importance, stakeholders are not currently analysing/combining transport data with social data. Links to policy and decision making
The ABS will seek to address issues relating to data accuracy, as specified in section 2.2 'Data volatility'. The ABS will not pursue solutions for providing other transport related environmental data as part of this review, as stakeholders have indicated this is not within the scope of the SMVU. 3.3 Cross sector use of transport data: measuring financial performance Description of the data issue Users would benefit from being able to identify the correspondence between measures of transport activity with measures of associated financial performance. The absence of data that identifies the in-house transport activity (by transport mode) of non-transport industries, means that modellers cannot accurately forecast the derived physical transport task (by mode) associated with industry forecasts. While noting that the primary emphasis of the SMVU should be transport activity, TSUG have also noted that the ability to link financial data with transport activity data would be desirable. With the exception of one key Stakeholder, feedback revealed that this particular data need is not at all significant for planning or modelling purposes. As discussed in section 3.1, this data need is best achieved via conducting a Transport Industry Survey. Links to policy and decision making Deemed not significant on the basis of stakeholder feedback. Recommendations
The requirement for data on financial performance of the transport industry is not significant. Stakeholder feedback indicates that no data gap exists in this area. The ABS will not pursue other solutions for this data need as part of this review. The ABS is willing to reconsider this data need at a later time, should users indicate that inadequate information is available for specific decision making and policy formation.
|