1376.0 - Local Government and ABS (Newsletter), Mar 2005
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 31/03/2005
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About this newsletter Local Government and ABS is a quarterly newsletter created by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) aimed at helping the Local Government Sector use statistics to assist with planning and other community servicing decisions. The specific aims of this newsletter are to:
This is a free newsletter and we encourage you to forward it to others and post it on your bulletin board. Anyone is welcome to receive Local Government and ABS. To subscribe: send an email to rex.porter@abs.gov.au with "subscribe Local Government and ABS" in the subject line. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter: send an email to rex.porter@abs.gov.au with "unsubscribe Local Government and ABS" in the subject line. To find this newsletter on the ABS Website:
National Regional Profile - A Five Year Time Series The latest version of the National Regional Profile (NRP) was released on the ABS website on 29 March 2005. People and organisations who need a snapshot of their local region now have access to more information at the click of a button. Information is available for Local Government Areas, Statistical Local Areas, Statistical Subdivisions, States/Territories and Australia. The NRP is an easy to use self-help facility that allows users to find their selected region from a map or pick-list and then download a spreadsheet of information for that region. The NRP was developed in response to requests for more accessible information about regions and was first released last year. The most significant change in the latest NRP release is that it has a five year time series (1999-2003), which will allow users to see changes in economic and social characteristics of their region over time. Other changes include the addition of new data on sources of income, and data on the value of agricultural production. It is intended that more indicators will be added in the future, to make the profiles even more comprehensive. The NRP can be accessed free of charge via the 'Regional Statistics' icon on the right hand side of the ABS home page. For further information please contact Treva Richards by phone on (08) 8237 7338 or by email to treva.richards@abs.gov.au Experimental estimates of personal income for small areas The ABS has recently released new data at the regional level (including Local Government Areas (LGA) and Statistical Local Areas (SLA)), about the types and total amount of income people receive. The estimates have been compiled for the first time using a combination of aggregated individual income tax data from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and aggregated income support customer data from the Australian Government Department of Family and Community Services (FaCS). Further details about the estimates are in a free Information Paper : Experimental Estimates of Personal Income for Small Areas, Taxation and Income Support Data, 1995-96 to 2000-01 (cat. no. 6524.0). The Information Paper :
The compilation of these data is part of the ABS' program to increase the availability of regional statistics, particularly through the use of administrative data collected by other government agencies. This should assist users of regional statistics, researchers, analysts and service providers to better understand regional populations and economies. In addition to the data presented in the Information Paper, two sets of tables with data for Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) are available as spreadsheets (cat no 6254.0.55.001). A charge may apply for these spreadsheets The first set (Table 1), containing data for each of the years 1995-96 to 2000-01, provides a breakdown of total personal income by the following sources:
The second set of spreadsheet tables (Table 2), containing data for each of the years 1995-96 to 2001-02, provides a further breakdown of government cash benefits by five main payment types:
As the economic wellbeing of most individuals across Australia is largely determined by the amount of income they receive, these data provide valuable information about relative advantage and disadvantage in regions and indicate the level of financial resources available for the population in a region. The source of income, such as from government cash benefits, also provides information about the contribution of such payments to total income in regions. For further information please contact Mark Nowosilskyj by phone on (08) 8237 7358 or by email to mark.now@abs.gov.au ABS views on the content of Agricultural Census 2005-06 The ABS has recently released an Information Paper outlining ABS views on content and procedures for the 2005-06 Agricultural Census. Agricultural Census : ABS Views on Content and Procedures 2005-06 (7103.0) The ABS conducts an agricultural census every five years, with large sample surveys in intervening years. The Agricultural census is one of the largest statistical collections undertaken by the ABS. The main objective of the Agricultural Census is to provide benchmark information on the agricultural sector for small geographic areas. The collection has five main roles:
The information paper outlines current ABS thinking on the scope and content of the 2005-06 Agricultural Census, as well as a number of other issues associated with this important collection. For more information please contact Jim Williamson by phone on (02) 6252 5830 or by email to jim.williamson@abs.gov.au What's happening in Local Government Finance? Collections The ABS' Local Government Statistics Unit (LGSU) recently finalised data for the 2003-04 Local Government Finance Collection. This data will be included in the publication Government Finance Statistics, Australia (Cat No.5512.0), due for release on 15 April 2005. This publication contains consolidated financial statements for the Local Government Sector in each state/territory, together with a dissection of expenses by purpose. The publication will be available on ABS website. Then use the menus on the left hand side to find publication 5512.0. More detailed data will also be available for purchase on request after this publication is released. The ABS would like to take this opportunity to thank councils for their cooperation in providing data for this collection. Information provided is used in making important policy decisions concerning the sector, and it is important that accurate and timely information is returned by councils in building this data set. Other upcoming events include the March cycle of the Quarterly Local Government Finance collection. The due date for councils to return the completed form will be 13 April, 2005. Visits to Departments of Local Government and Grants Commissions Each year, the LGSU endeavours to meet with each of the state/territory Grants Commissions or Departments of Local Government to review the recently completed 2002-03 annual collection, and to commence preparations for the 2004-05 cycle. These meetings are currently being organised for April and May this year. Issues discussed in these meetings will include the timetable for the 2004-05 collection, any changes to the collection instrument and the collection process itself. Other Developments Work has also commenced on a project to identify sources of data relating to the field of Local Government statistics. This work will lead into the development of a Local Government Information Development Plan (IDP), an agreement between key stakeholders that defines the suite of information required to support policy in a particular field of statistics. As explained in the previous issue of this newsletter, the aim of developing an IDP is to improve the quality, coverage and use of statistics in the field of Local Government.
Year Book Australia 2005 is available now
Links to previous issues of Local Government and ABS Local Government and ABS Issue 8 December 2004 Local Government and ABS Issue 7 September 2004 Local Government and ABS Issue 6 June 2004 Local Government and ABS Issue 5 March 2004 Local Government and ABS Issue 4 December 2003 Local Government and ABS Issue 3 September 2003 Local Government and ABS Issue 2 June 2003 Local Government and ABS Issue 1 March 2003 Newsletter contact details This newsletter is one way to help improve communication between the ABS and the Local Government Sector. New ABS initiatives to assist local government organisations will be announced in this newsletter as they evolve. We would like your views and suggestions about this newsletter so that it remains useful and assists you to understand and use ABS statistics. Please email comments to rex.porter@abs.gov.au, or by telephone on (08) 8237 7416. Document Selection These documents will be presented in a new window.
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