MEDIA RELEASE
4 July 2014	Embargo: 11.30 am (Canberra time)	92/2014

For NSW, the highest percentage of people aged 85 years or older lived in Hunters Hill, followed by Great Lakes according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

This is just some of the regional data that can now be found through the new ABS data navigator, making it easy for local communities to view a wide range of different data for their area.

"The new Data by Region navigator provides an efficient and interactive way of accessing data", said Lisa Conolly from the ABS.

Data is available for hundreds of items including, population, births, average income levels, building approvals, number of aged pensioners, business counts, number of motor vehicles, land use, and much more.

For example, did you know that compared with the rest of New South Wales:

• Parramatta had the state's highest number of registered buses (991), followed by Ku-ring-gai (817)
• Walcha had the highest amount of land being used for irrigated sugar crops (4,595.7 hectares)
• Blacktown had the highest number of wage and salary earners who were technicians and trades workers (15,898 persons), followed by Sutherland Shire (12,185 persons)
• Fairfield and Liverpool had the highest average household size (3.2 persons per household)
• The highest percentage of households using dial up internet access was in Jerilderie (5.8 per cent) while the lowest percentage was in Bourke (1.6 per cent)

Regional information is available over a five year period up to 2012, so local communities can track changes over time in the characteristics of their areas.

Find data on a region of your interest by visiting www.abs.gov.au/databyregion.

Media Note:

• Unless otherwise indicated, regions in this media release refer to local government areas.
• When reporting ABS data you must attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source.
• Media requests and interviews - contact the ABS Communications Section on 1300 175 070