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INTRODUCTION

1 This publication presents a statistical summary of key economic and some social information for regional areas in South Australia. It brings together a wide range of existing ABS and some non-ABS data and has been designed, at a broad level, to assist users of regional statistics to understand the composition and structure of a region, to understand how a region contributes to the state's economy and to help monitor the trends in economic growth or decline. The data are presented for Local Government Areas, Statistical Subdivisions and Statistical Divisions. Included are historical as well as the latest available data, at the time of preparation, enabling comparison over time and between these regions.

2 The statistics included in this publication are sourced from a wide variety of collections, both ABS and non-ABS. When analysing the data care needs to be taken as time periods, definitions, methodologies, scope and coverage will differ. Some main data concepts and definitions are included below and in the Glossary of Terms. For more detailed information, including technical notes, pleaserefer to the relevant source publications Bibliography.


REFERENCE PERIODS

3 The data presented relate to the period 1997-1998 to 2002-2003. As the data are referenced from a wide variety of sources the reference period relating to many of the indicators differ. For simplicity only a single calendar year number has been used in row and column headings. This calendar year number refers to the latter year for those data items collected over two years. For example, data for the financial year 1999-2000 are shown under the heading '2000'.


REGIONS

4 The regions specified are Local Government Areas, Statistical Subdivisions and Statistical Divisions as defined in Australian Standard Geographical Classification, 2003 - Electronic Publication (cat. no. 1216.0). LGAs are legally designated areas over which incorporated local governments have responsibility. Areas of the state not covered by these incorporated bodies are also included in this publication (unincorporated). Statistical Subdivisions and Statistical Divisions are defined, in broad terms, as socially and economically homogeneous regions characterised by identifiable links between the inhabitants. In South Australia SSDs consist, for the most part, of aggregations of Local Government Areas, while one or more SSDs make up an SD. The Statistical Division is the largest and most stable spatial unit. A map showing SDs, SSDs and LGAs in South Australia can be found in the Main Features of this publication.

5 All data presented have been calculated on Statistical Division, Statistical Subdivision and Local Government Area boundaries current as at 30 June 2003 (i.e. 1998 data are shown for the boundary current at 30 June 2003). Where boundary changes have occurred or data have been collected for different spatial areas such as postcodes, concordances have been used to 'convert' the data to the specified region's boundary at 30 June 2003.

6 In applying the concordances it is assumed that the particular characteristics of any data item are uniformly distributed across the spatial area.

7 While care was taken in producing the concordances, they are not an official ABS product and the ABS will not guarantee the accuracy of concorded data. No liability will be accepted by the ABS for any damages arising from decisions or actions based upon the data.


SELECTED DATA ITEMS

Population estimates

8 This publication contains estimates of the resident population for Statistical Divisions, Statistical Subdivisions and Local Government Areas in South Australia. The estimates are based on Census counts in census years while estimates for other years are calculated using a mathematical model. Figures are shown to the nearest unit without rounding, but accuracy to the last digit is not claimed and should not be assumed. For a more detailed description of the methodology refer to Regional Population Growth, Australia and New Zealand (cat. no. 3218.0).

Births and deaths

9 Birth statistics are presented on the basis of the LGA of usual residence of the mother, regardless of where in Australia the birth occurred or was registered. The data refer to births registered during the financial year shown and are compiled from data provided to the State Registrars of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

10 Death statistics are presented on the basis of the LGA of usual residence of the deceased, regardless of where in Australia the death occurred or was registered. The data refer to deaths registered during the financial year shown and are compiled from data provided to the State Registrars of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

Labour force estimates

11 The labour force estimates shown are produced by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) using the Structure Preserving Estimation (SPREE) methodology. SPREE uses Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services (Centrelink) statistics of persons in receipt of unemployment benefits and ABS population and labour force estimates by labour force regions to estimate unemployment levels.

12 The estimates at the small area level have not been adjusted to take account of seasonal and other variations and can therefore exhibit irregular movements. Accordingly while quarter-to-quarter comparisons may not be indicative of actual movements in the labour market, the year-to-year comparisons presented here may therefore be more appropriate.

13 A detailed description of the methodology used is presented in the DEWR quarterly publication Small Area Labour Markets, Australia or can be accessed through the DEWR web site at http://www.workplace.gov.au.

14 Note that recent technical changes made to the methodology have resulted in a break in the statistical series. Where possible DEWR has provided revised estimates back to the June quarter 2001 to reflect these changes. While previous editions of this publication contain estimates prior to the June quarter 2001, any comparison of those data with the new estimates should be undertaken with caution.

Income support customers

15 The term ‘Income support customers’ has been used to define persons receiving specific payments from various Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services (FaCS) welfare programs. The statistics shown have been compiled from data collected by Centrelink which is the government agency delivering income support payments and services to eligible members of the community on behalf of FaCS.

16 Counts of income support customers include those receiving a payment and those customers temporarily suspended from payment or not paid in the fortnight (zero paid) due to income/assets test provisions or other administrative procedures.

17 Age pension counts exclude payments made to persons overseas and age pensions paid by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

18 The figures shown in this Profile have been provided to the ABS in aggregated form only. No information about individual income support customers have been released to the ABS.

19 The statistics compiled by Centrelink about their clients are classified according to the postcode district in the postal address held on departmental records. The figures shown in this publication have been converted from postcode areas to SDs, SSDs and LGAs using geographic concordances based on estimated resident population data. Note that the use of this concordance may lead to the State total shown here differing slightly from the State total published by Centrelink.

20 To preserve the confidentiality of individuals, data from some areas have been added to data from other areas. The list below gives details of the areas affected by these amalgamations:

• data for Lower Eyre Peninsula (DC) includes data for Unincorporated Lincoln;

• data for Port Adelaide Enfield (C) - Western Adelaide SSD part includes data for Unincorporated Western;

• data for Renmark Paringa (DC) includes data for Unincorporated Riverland;

• data for Whyalla (C) includes data for Unincorporated Whyalla, and

• data for Unincorporated Far North includes data for Roxby Downs (M).

• permits issued by local government authorities and other principal certifying authorities;

• contracts let or day labour work authorised by Commonwealth, state, semi-government and local government authorities, or

• major building activity in areas not subject to normal administrative approval e.g. building on remote mine sites.

• all approved new residential buildings valued at $10,000 or more, or

• all approved non-residential building jobs valued at $50,000 or more.

• approved alterations and additions to residential buildings; and

• construction activity not defined as building (e.g. construction of roads, bridges, railways, etc.).

• an authority set up under a local government Act to carry out the functions of local government in a defined area (known as a municipality or district council) the members of which are elected by persons enrolled as electors for the House of Assembly in respect of an address within the area, or who are ratepayers in respect of rateable property within the area. A body corporate is enrolled under the name of a nominated agent, or

• an authority created or acquired by a local government authority (as defined above) or by two or more local government authorities (in South Australia an authority established under Part XIII or Section 199 of the Local Government Act 1934).