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CHAPTER 1 ASGC URBAN CENTRE/LOCALITY STRUCTURE


PURPOSE

The Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) is used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for the collection and dissemination of geographically classified statistics. These are statistics with a 'where' dimension. The ASGC is a hierarchical classification system, consisting of seven interrelated structures, each designed to serve a specific purpose.

This chapter provides a summary of the ASGC Urban Centre/Locality (UC/L) Structure, while the full background of the ASGC and its structures are described in Statistical Geography: Volume 1 - Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) (cat. no. 1216.0).

The UC/L Structure groups Census Collection Districts (CDs) together to form defined areas according to specific population and land use criteria. Population counts (place of enumeration) from the latest Census of Population and Housing are used to define the UC/L Structure which means this classification structure is only defined at times of census. The resulting areas are known as Urban Centres or Localities.

The UC/L Structure is used for the production of standard ABS statistical outputs from Population Censuses such as QuickStats, MapStats, Census Tables and Community Profiles, which can all be accessed from the Census home page: <https://www.abs.gov.au/census> .

The UC/L Structure is a separate structure within the ASGC as:

• the boundaries do not generally coincide with spatial units of the other structures; and
• its total area covers only part of Australia.

A full description of these spatial units and their delimitation criteria may be found in Statistical Geography: Volume 1 - Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) (cat. no. 1216.0), Chapter 6.

In broad terms, an Urban Centre is a population cluster of 1,000 or more people while a Locality is a population cluster of between 200 and 999 people. For statistical purposes, people living in Urban Centres are classified as urban while those in Localities are classified as rural.

Each Urban Centre/Locality has a clearly defined boundary and comprises one or more whole CDs. Urban Centres/Localities are redefined at each Population Census.

CDs within this structure are confined to those within defined Urban Centre and Locality boundaries. As a consequence, UC/Ls aggregate to cover only part of a state/territory (S/T) and thus the structure covers part of Australia only.

UC/Ls may be bisected by a S/T boundary. Where this occurs each portion of the UC/L is separately identified and is included in the UC/L Structure for the relevant S/T. For example, the Urban Centre of Albury-Wodonga is partly in New South Wales and partly in Victoria. One part is shown under New South Wales and the other under Victoria.

UC/L name and code

UC/Ls are identified by a five-digit code which is only unique within each S/T. Use of UC/L codes in conjunction with S/T codes, is necessary before these codes become unique across Australia.

The codes 00000 and 99999 are reserved as Rural Balance and Off-Shore and Migratory codes, respectively, for the S/Ts NSW, Vic, Qld, SA, WA, Tas and NT.

The code 99999 is not applicable for the ACT or the OT as off-shore, shipping & migratory CDs are not defined for those Territories.

Where UC/Ls cross S/T boundaries, the separate portions of the UC/L are uniquely identified and reported in their relevant S/T.

Example:

Code Name

S/T UC/L

1 100800 Albury-Wodonga (Albury Part)

2 200400 Albury-Wodonga (Wodonga Part)

Tables

The Urban Centres and Localities determined following the 2006 Census are listed in Chapter 2.

Example:

Example
S/T UC/L		Name
1		New South Wales
	100200	Aberdeen
	100400	Adaminaby (L)

The following table summarises the number of UC/Ls in each S/T.

COUNTS FOR 2006 URBAN CENTRES/LOCALITIES (UC/Ls)
Spatial Unit	NSW	Vic.	Qld.	SA	WA	Tas.	NT	ACT	Other Territories	Aust.
UC/L	524	350	364	162	179	105	66	2	3	1 755
Where a UC/L is bisected by a S/T boundary, each portion of the UC/L is seperately identified and counted in the relevant S/T.