1316.3 - Statistical Update Queensland (Newsletter), Aug 2002
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 30/08/2002
Page tools:
 Print Page
 Print All
| |||||
|
Editorial My name is Don Jender and I am the Director of the Corporate Services and Field Operations Branch. The branch covers a wide variety of activities - the Corporate Services part covers Human Resources, finance and facilities, and the Field Operations part covers Population Survey Operations and Consumer Price Index (CPI) collection work. These support two high profile and critical ABS programs - Labour Force and CPI. I grew up in Ipswich and moved to Canberra in 1973 after I finished studying at the University of Queensland. I started in the Defence Department on scientific and technical work, then moved to the Department of Communications, where I worked on broadcasting policy. A big issue at that time was how to use Australia’s then new Aussat communications satellites to deliver broadcasting services. However, working in broadcasting has the minor disadvantage that everyone asks you adjust their TV set for optimal reception. [Hint - clean and tighten all cable connections as a start.] I later moved to the Department of Administrative Services (DAS), where I was Director in charge of Commonwealth auctions Australia wide, and later a Director in various parts of the Commonwealth vehicle fleet branch. That was a very interesting time, as in those days DAS was at the forefront of work in commercialising government business activity, consequently I know all the tricks of the auction business. After 20 years, my wife insisted on leaving the long freezing Canberra winters for ever, so I got a job in the Brisbane office of the ABS as Director of statistical collection work. I continued to direct economic collection work for some years, taking on Corporate Services work in recent years. There is much to look forward to in the future work of the Branch. I want the Corporate Services part to continue to provide quality services to the office, while at the same time supporting the corporate drive to deliver a more national and coordinated Corporate Services program Australia-wide. The Field Operations (Population Surveys) part of the Branch needs to maintain the demanding household surveys program (e.g. Monthly Population Survey, of which the Labour Force Survey is a component). Currently, the area is concentrating on delivery of the Indigenous Social Survey and the General Social Survey for Queensland, as part of the Australia-wide Special Supplementary Survey program. As well, the (Queensland) State Supplementary Survey ‘Managing Caring Responsibilities and Paid Employment’ is due to be run in October. The area will also be implementing a major change in its collection approach in the near future with the introduction of Computer Assisted Interviewing. Finally, CPI always has a demanding program in terms of timeliness and quality, so all areas of the branch have challenges coming up. If you would like to know more about these issues, please contact me on 07 3222 6314 or email don.jender@abs.gov.au. - Don Jender Regional Wage and Salary Earner Statistics For the first time the ABS has made available some new employment data that should assist users of regional statistics to measure employment activity, variations in wage and salary incomes and shifts in broad level occupations in regions and over time. Experimental Estimates, Regional Wage and Salary Earner Statistics, Australia, 1995-96 to 1998-99 (cat no. 5673.0) was released on 29 July 2002 and contains estimates of the total number of wage and salary earners and their average annual wage and salary income for Local Government Areas (LGAs), Statistical Local Areas (SLAs), Statistical Subdivisions (SSDs) and Statistical Divisions (SDs) in each State and Territory of Australia. These estimates, for the years 1995-96 to 1998-99, were compiled from information provided to the Australian Taxation Office in income tax returns and are part of an ABS initiative to increase the availability of regional statistical information through the use of administrative data held by other government agencies. In addition to the statistics presented in the publication, other data are also available from this source that provide further information about wage and salary earners in regions. These tables, which are also available for each of the 4 years from 1995-96 to 1998-99, are: Table 1: Total Wage and Salary Earners, Total Wage and Salary Income, Median Wage and Salary Income and Average Wage and Salary Income by SLA Table 2: Age by Sex by SLA Table 3: Occupation (Major Groups) by Sex by SLA Table 4: Occupation (Major Groups) by Age by SLA Table 5: Wage and Salary Income by Sex by SLA Table 6: Wage and Salary Income by Age by SLA Table 7: Wage and Salary Income by Occupation (Major Groups) by SLA Table 8: Occupation (Minor Groups) by SLA Table 9: Wage and Salary Income by Occupation (Minor Groups) by SSD These tables can be ordered from the ABS on a consultancy service basis. A sample of the Queensland data available: In Queensland there were 1,329,914 wage and salary earners in 1998-99, which accounted for 18.3% of the total number of wage and salary earners in Australia. Over the 4 years to 1998-99 the number of wage and salary earners increased by 3.7%, the second largest percentage growth of all the States and Territories for this time period and above the national growth rate (2.3%). Reported total annual wage and salary income for Queensland grew over the 4 years to 1998-99, increasing by 17.1% to $39,851.0m. This was the largest percentage increase of all the States and Territories. In 1998-99, just over 10% (14) of Queensland’s 125 LGAs reported average wage and salary incomes exceeding the state and national averages. An additional eight LGAs reported averages above the Queensland average but below the national average. Broadsound (S) and Belyando (S) reported the highest average wage and salary incomes in Queensland of $51,162 and $48,779, respectively. Despite recording one of the highest average wage and salary incomes in each of the 4 years to 1998-99, Belyando (S) recorded a decline of 2.0% ($987) over the four-year reporting period. For further information contact Mark Nowosilskyj on 08 8237 7358 or email mark.now@abs.gov.au Drug-induced Deaths - A Guide to ABS Causes of Death Data A comprehensive guide to the data concepts relating to deaths from drugs in ABS causes of death statistics was released on 8 August 2002. The Information Paper Drug-induced Deaths - A Guide to ABS Causes of Death Data (cat. no. 4809.0.55.001) provides assistance to researchers and analysts in using statistics on causes of death from drug use. It is a valuable reference as it covers a wide range of issues which may impact on the availability of ABS data. The paper does not propose a uniform national standard, rather it explains the ABS definition of drug-induced deaths. Also discussed are issues such as problems associated with the identification of specific drugs of interest. The topics covered in this paper include:
This Information Paper may be read in conjunction with a data cubes file Drug-induced Deaths, Australia, 1997-2000 (cat. no. 3303.0) which contains statistics on drug-induced deaths. The data file may be accessed via the State Government GovNet intranet (by State Government users) or purchased directly from the ABS web site via e-Commerce, through AusStats for subscribers or by calling the National Project Centre on 1800 620 963. Below is an example of Queensland data contained in this file. There were 245 Queenslanders with drug-induced deaths as the cause of death registered in 2000. The majority of these were from mental and behavioural disorders and accidental overdoses (73%) with a further 63 suicides by drugs. One in three drug-induced deaths occurred in persons aged 25-34 years and men accounted for 65% of all drug-induced deaths. Complementary to this information paper is the publication Illicit Drugs Use, Sources of Data, Australia (cat. no. 4884.0) which was released in late 2001. For further information contact Peter Burke on 07 3222 6069 or peter.burke@abs.gov.au Environmental Questions on Agricultural Surveys The 2003 Agricultural Survey (which is sent to approximately 35,000 land-holders throughout Australia) will be dispatched in mid-2003. Over the next 6 months the Environment and Energy Statistics Section (EESS) is trialling a series of questions for inclusion on the 2003 Agricultural Survey. The focus of these questions will be on weeds, farm chemicals and water usage (including trading, source and re-use). These issues have been highlighted by users as key areas for data collection. There is potential to include additional topics in this process and preliminarily results will be available towards the end of that year. Space on the Agricultural Survey form is limited but strong support from users resulted in several environmental questions being included on the 2001 Agricultural Census and/or 2002 Agricultural Survey. Specifically, questions were included on:
Preliminary data from the 2001 Agricultural Census has already been released in Principal Agricultural Commodities, Australia, Preliminary (cat. no. 7111.0), with final data expected to be released in November 2002. Final data from the Agricultural Census will be published to Statistical Local Area level. For further information or to submit a comment or suggestion contact Paul Downey on 02 6252 7876 or paul.downey@abs.gov.au Land Management and Salinity Survey 2002 The ABS is supporting the objectives of the National Action Plan through the Land Management and Salinity Survey 2002. This the first time the ABS has conducted this type of survey. Information will be collected on the activities already undertaken by farmers to manage or prevent salinity and the factors that influence land management decisions on farms. Data collected will provide a better understanding of the issues and where information and support is needed. The Land Management and Salinity Survey 2002 is linked to the 2001 Agricultural Census, which included two questions on salinity. This survey will collect more detailed information on salinity and salinity management. The need to tackle salinity and water quality problems has been recognised by Commonwealth, State/Territory and local governments. These governments have supported the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality. This plan outlines actions that can be taken by regional communities and land-holders in 21 priority regions. The Commonwealth and State/Territory governments have committed $1,400m to the National Action Plan over the next 7 years. The survey has the support of a range of Commonwealth and State/Territory government agencies as well as the Australian Local Government Association. Summary information will be available in a special ABS publication expected to be released in the first half of 2003. Information will also be available on the ABS web site <www.abs.gov.au>. Data will be available at the National, State and National Action Plan (NAP) for Salinity and Water Quality region levels. For further information contact Adam Sincock on 02 6252 6766 or adam.sincock@abs.gov.au Environmental Issues, People’s Views and Practices, 8th Edition The 8th edition of the Environmental Issues: People’s Views and Practices (cat. no. 4602.0) is due for release on 27 November 2002. This year’s publication will include:
The information in the publication can be used to assist with:
Data are derived from the March supplement of the Monthly Population Survey. This survey covers most of the rural and urban areas of Australia’s States and Territories. Where applicable, data collected on previous surveys are also presented for comparison. Three groups of topics are rotated over a three-year cycle:
Data will be published at the Australia and State/Territory levels and may be available for smaller geographic disaggregations, depending on confidentiality requirements. For further information contact Apolonio Basilio on 02 6252 7433 or apolonio.basilio@abs.gov.au Commonwealth and State Environment Expenditures The ABS is exploring a proposal to collect information on environment expenditures by the Commonwealth and State/Territory Governments. The idea is attractive as new data could be combined with data currently available on local government activities. This would provide a comprehensive and integrated account of expenditure on environmental protection and resource management for all levels of Australian government. Comments relating to environmental spending outlined in the recent Commonwealth budget have highlighted the need to identify and categorise environmental expenditures. The development of this project will take time. Local government information is already collected and published in Environment Expenditure, Local Government, Australia (cat.no. 4611.0). The most recent estimates on the Commonwealth’s expenditure on the environment are contained in the budget document, Towards a Sustainable Australia, The Commonwealth’s Environment Expenditure, 2002-03. These estimates are not easily compared with other nations’ spending on environmental protection. The ABS is interested in developing a collection using the current Commonwealth and State/Territory financial reporting systems to minimise the need for additional reporting. One of the key objectives would be to harmonise the information to be collected with those provided by other environmental reporting frameworks, such as the State of the Environment Reporting (SoER). Data on environment expenditure were collected from all three levels of governments for 1996-97 and earlier financial years. Data were originally collected automatically from governments but became unavailable after 1997. Information for these earlier years is provided in Environment Protection Expenditure, Australia (cat. no. 4603.0). This shows that in 1996-97 Commonwealth and State governments were responsible for over $2,000m (or 25% of the $8,600m spent nationally on environment protection in that year) through projects such as the National Heritage Trust, waste water treatment facilities and rehabilitation of areas with degraded soil. For further information or to submit a comment or suggestion contact Peter Meadows on 02 6252 5613 or p.meadows@abs.gov.au Environment Management Survey 2000-2001 The Environment Management Survey (EMS) 2000-2001 collects physical and financial information on environment management in the manufacturing and mining industries at State/Territory and National levels. A similar collection was conducted for 1996-97 and released in Environment Protection Expenditure, Australia, 1995-96 and 1996-97 (cat. no. 4603.0). Environment protection is a significant and growing expense in the Australian economy. In 1996-97, for example, Australia spent over $8,600 million on environment protection activities. The 2000-2001 EMS provides measures of environment management activities as well as eco-efficiency indicators for the manufacturing and mining industries. Information on other industries could be collected in future surveys. Environment management financial activity includes expenditure on solid waste management, liquid waste management, air emissions management and other expenses such as noise control. Alongside the traditional areas of expenditure on environmental protection some new measurements on environment management systems are available in the report and as a part of a series of unpublished data available on request. Eco-efficiency goals aim to reduce materials/resources used and waste/pollution generated by industries in producing their goods and services. The new eco-efficiency component of the EMS enables physical and financial data to be combined to derive an indication of industries' performance in environmental management. Types of available data include physical and eco-efficiency indicators. For example:
The publication, Environment Protection, Mining and Manufacturing Industries, Australia (cat. no. 4603.0) will be released in September 2002. It will contain information about the environment protection and management activities of the mining and manufacturing industries, by State, ANZSIC Sub-division and business size. The publication will include data on both current and capital expenditure on various areas of environment protection (solid waste, liquid waste, air emissions and minesite rehabilitation); administration expenditure; measures of water use; measure of savings for energy reduction, water and material input savings and waste minimisation; types of waste and waste recycled; and proportion of environment plans. For further information contact Peter Meadows on 02 6252 5613 or p.meadows@abs.gov.au Local Government Environment and Natural Resources Survey, 2000-2001 The survey collected information on expenditure and revenue by local government authorities relating to their activities of environmental protection and natural resource management. The results will be presented in the publication Environment Expenditure, Local Government, 2000-01 (cat. no. 4611.0), which is to be released mid-September 2002. The previous year’s survey found local government to be a major player in protecting the environment and in the management of natural resources in Australia. It was also found that these activities accounted for a significant part of local government operations. In summary, revenue from environmental protection ($2,300 million) and natural resource management ($1,300m) contributed to 23% of councils’ total revenue in 1999-2000. On the expenditure side, current and capital expenses for environmental protection were $1,900m and $600m, respectively, and for natural resource management they were $1,400m and $450m, respectively. These expenditures represented 22.7% of councils’ total current expenses and 25.7% of councils’ total capital expenditure. The information from the Environment and Natural Resources Survey is used by businesses, academics, governments and international organisations for a range of purposes. The information framework underlying the survey can be used in environmental reporting systems which are increasingly being developed for reasons of compliance, demonstration of environmental responsibility, management of environmental risks and efficient use of natural resources. In addition, the ABS is working closely with several councils to incorporate relevant linkages into their environmental accounting systems. The usefulness of the framework also includes possibilities to establish linkages to existing information systems such as State of the Environment Reporting (SoER). The ABS is examining ways to further improve the collection of environmental data from councils in an effort to reduce reporting burden and concurrently increase the relevance and usefulness of the collected information. Two areas of emerging interest are outlined below. The first is concerned with common resources, shared by two or more councils, such as waterways and forested areas. Information on the management of these common resources will help to understand and address environmental issues which cross these government boundaries. The second is the need for information on a ‘whole of government’ approach to managing Australia’s environment and natural resources. The ABS is investigating the possibility of expanding the Environment and Natural Resources Survey to include the State and Federal levels of government. Aggregates will be published at State/Territory level only and by size groupings of local governments. For further information contact Adam Carmody on 02 6252 7477 or a.carmody@abs.gov.au Higher Criminal Courts Higher Criminal Courts, Australia, 2000-01 (cat. no. 4513.0) was released on 4 June 2002. The publication presents statistics on the criminal workload of the Supreme and Intermediate Courts in Australia, including time taken for defendants to be finalised by the Higher Courts. For the first time, this issue includes tables on offences and penalties associated with adjudicated defendants. While the offence and penalty data are experimental, due to the concerns associated with the level of unknown/not stated responses for some States and Territories, it is considered that they will offer a more useful insight into the profile of defendants appearing in court and their associated court outcomes. In Queensland during 2000-01, a total of 6,932 defendants were finalised (this excludes defendants who were finalised by a bench warrant being issued): 5,836 males, 1,092 females and 4 organisations. Of the total defendants finalised in 2000-01, 314 (4.5%) were acquitted, 1,288 (18.6%) had charges withdrawn and 5,329 (76.9%) were proven guilty. The median time elapsed for all finalised defendants was 21.7 weeks. For further information contact Robert Letheby on 03 9615 7381 or robert.letheby@abs.gov.au Knowledge-based Economy and Society Framework and Indicators ABS is developing a statistical framework for measuring the Knowledge-based Economy and Society. A discussion paper on the framework was released on 28 August 2002. The web version of the paper will contain links to information about each of the indicators presented in the framework. Following release of the discussion paper, the ABS is hoping to receive feedback on whether the framework is considered conceptually and methodologically sound by the expert community and whether the proposed indicators are appropriate. No final decision has yet been made on dissemination of information from the framework. A proposed publishing strategy is included in the discussion paper and feedback on the strategy would be appreciated. For further information contact Tony Weir on 02 6252 6709 or tony.weir@abs.gov.au Culture and Recreation Statistics on the Web The ABS National Centre for Culture and Recreation Statistics (NCCRS) has launched a Theme Page on the ABS web site. The Culture and Recreation Theme Page is a valuable resource, providing information on culture and recreation statistical resources and contacts. Readers can select a topic of interest - such as music and the performing arts, or sport and leisure industries - and view details of ABS and some non-ABS articles and publications which contain statistics about that topic. The Theme Page also provides links to the Australian Culture and Leisure Classifications, the Directory of Culture and Leisure Statistics, the NCCRS newsletters and other web sites related to culture and recreation. For further information contact Heather Latz on 08 8237 7484 or nccrs@abs.gov.au Directory of Culture and Leisure Statistics The Directory of Culture and Leisure Statistics was released on the ABS web site on 13 August 2002. The key aims of the directory are to provide a quick and easy reference to ABS sources of culture and leisure data, and provide information about the extent of data available from each data collection. Contact details are provided for each collection. Entries also provide information on the scope, frequency and history of a collection and the major publications that present data from the collection. The Directory of Culture and Leisure Statistics (cat. no. 1143.0.55.001) is a web-based product which is freely available and can be viewed by clicking on ABS directories. There is a link to the directory from the Culture and Recreation Theme Page (described above). To find the directory from the home page of the ABS web site, without going through the Culture and Recreation Theme Page, click on About Statistics, then Directory of Statistical Sources, open the twistie next to About the Directory of Statistical Sources and click on Other ABS Directories. For further information contact Heather Latz on 08 8237 7484 or nccrs@abs.gov.au Supplement to Mineral Exploration Survey - Cost of Land Access 2001-02 The ABS is currently preparing for a new, one-off collection of statistics on costs of land access to the mineral exploration sector. A questionnaire was despatched in the latter half of August 2002. The issue of the costs of land access has been identified by the mining industry as being the single most important area for which information is needed. It stems from the belief that Australia’s diminishing mineral exploration levels in recent years could be partly attributed to mineral exploration land access issues. The ABS undertook a feasibility study during 2001 and the positive feedback and results from companies approached has enabled the Federal Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources to commission the ABS to conduct an immediate one-off survey for financial year 2001-02. The ABS has also been encouraged and supported by the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA), the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) and the Ministerial Council on Mineral & Petroleum Resources (MCMPR). Results will be published in the middle of 2003. Total cost of land access expenditure will be available at State/Territory level with the component expenditure items available at Australia level. For further information contact Ashley Heddle on 02 6252 7808 or a.heddle@abs.gov.au Gambling At 30 June 2001 there were 6,012 businesses providing gambling facilities in Australia. A large percentage (75%) of these businesses were hospitality clubs, pubs, taverns and bars. Other businesses providing gambling facilities were thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing clubs, other sporting clubs and venues, casinos, lottery operators, other gambling services (such as bookmaking services and totalisator services and agencies) and some accommodation businesses. Almost two-thirds (63% or $8,752m) of the total net takings from gambling came from poker or gaming machines. Net takings from poker and gaming machines have increased by 39% since 1997-98. There were 185,512 poker or gaming machines in use at the end of June 2001, up 19.5% from 3 years earlier. Most of these machines were located in hospitality clubs (60.4%), pubs, taverns and bars (30.0%) and casinos (5.9%). During 2000-01 the gambling taxes and levies paid to governments totalled $4,397m, representing 32% of the net takings from gambling. The largest source of gambling taxes and levies was poker and gaming machines (in premises other than casinos), which accounted for 55% of total gambling taxes and levies. In Queensland during 2000-01 there were 1,087 businesses providing gambling services with a total net takings from gambling of $1,947.4m. The average net takings per head of adult population in 2000-01 were $718.40, 23.9% less than the average for Australia. Main features of Gambling Industries, Australia, 2000-01 (cat. no. 8684.0) are available free of charge on the ABS web site <www.abs.gov.au>, as are the main features of another recent release relevant to this topic, Clubs, Pubs, Taverns and Bars, Australia, 2000-01 (cat. no. 8687.0). For further information contact Ann Santo on 03 9615 7910 or ann.santo@abs.gov.au Information Technology and Telecommunications Industries Results from the biennial ABS survey on the production and distribution of information technology and telecommunications (IT&T) goods and services by Australian businesses in 2000-01 will be released on 19 September 2002 in the ABS publication Information Technology, Australia (cat. no. 8126.0). The publication also includes IT&T import and export data and IT&T international trade in services data obtained from other sources. This is the fourth survey covering the IT&T sector with the previous one being in respect of 1998-99. The publication contains separate details on the IT&T industries included in the survey as well as information on the recorded media manufacturing and publishing industry (because it undertakes significant IT&T activities). The next IT&T Production surveys will be undertaken in respect of 2002-03, with results expected to be released around July 2004. Development of the 2002-03 survey is about to commence. Comments or suggestions regarding the data content for this survey are welcomed. Information Technology, Australia will have State and Territory level data for IT&T specialists; manufacturing, wholesale trade, telecommunication services, computer services by the number of businesses, number employed and value of wages and salaries. For further information or to submit a comment or suggestion contact Sheridan Roberts on 02 6252 5019 or sheridan.roberts@abs.gov.au Amusement Parks and Amusement Centres Amusement and Theme Parks There were 8.9 million visits to the 30 major amusement and theme parks in Australia during 2000-01. More than one-half of these visits (56%) were to amusement and theme parks in Queensland. On average, each amusement and theme park received $29 per visit from admission, rides, food, drinks and merchandise sales. The 30 major amusement and theme parks employed 4,150 people, 54% of whom were casual employees. The total income for these amusement and theme parks during 2000-01 was $287m. More than half of this income ($162m) came from admissions and rides. The average operating profit margin for Australia for these parks for 2000-01 was -9.4%. Amusement and theme parks in Queensland accounted for 59% of total employment, 59% of wages and salaries, 55% of total expenses and 71% of total income. With four of the six largest amusement and theme parks located in Queensland, this is not surprising. Amusement and theme parks in New South Wales accounted for 36% of the total employment, 35% of wages and salaries, 40% of total expenses and 24% of total income. Amusement Centres Findings from a survey of amusement centres (i.e. indoor play centres, amusement machine centres, mini golf centres, etc.) show that at the end of June 2001 there were 288 businesses operating amusement centres in 384 locations. These centres employed 2,793 people, with 61% working on a casual basis. Amusement centres recorded a total income for 2000-01 of $137m, with $73m of this being received as takings from coin-operated amusement machines. Queensland’s 47 amusement centre businesses had 67 locations, 16% of the total amusement centre locations, 13% of the industry employment and 16% of the industry income, compared with Queensland's 19% share of the Australian population. Similarly, the contribution to industry income from amusement centres was below their respective shares of the Australian population in all other states and territories, except for the Australian Capital Territory. Main features of Selected Amusement and Leisure Industries, Australia, 2000-01 (cat. no. 8688.0) are available free of charge on the ABS web site <www.abs.gov.au>. For further information contact Ann Santo on 03 9615 7810 or ann.santo@abs.gov.au Where Do Governments Spend Their Sporting Dollars? The Standing Committee on Recreation and Sport (SCORS) has requested that the ABS National Centre for Culture and Recreation Statistics (NCCRS) undertake a collection of data on Commonwealth, State, Territory and local government funding of sport and physical recreation for the 2000-2001 financial year. This will be published in Sport and Recreation Funding by Government, Australia (cat. no. 4147.0) which is expected to be released later this year. Output from the collection will provide the first consistent and comparable data on funding of sport and physical recreation by the three levels of government and will be the starting point for a time series to monitor change in funding over time. Categories of funding included in the publication are: government and non-government administration of sport; venues and facilities; clubs, teams and individuals; and support activities. Data will be available at State/Territory and Australia levels only. For further information contact Tammie Davis on 08 8237 7406 or tammie.davis@abs.gov.au Measuring Learning in Australia: A Framework for Education and Training Statistics In the past, statistics in the areas of education and training have been organised largely according to the more formal aspects of learning in the school, VET and Higher Education sectors. However there is a growing need to provide for wider perspectives on a range of learning activities, including analysis of individual learning pathways, and research from a geographic basis or over time. The ABS has developed a framework entitled Measuring Learning in Australia - A Framework for Education and Training Statistics (cat. no. 4213.0) to shape the way we think about information from these different perspectives. The framework is an ABS initiative together with the Department of Education, Science and Training, the Australian National Training Authority and all State and Territory education and training departments and is expected to be released in September 2002. The framework can be viewed as a broad level conceptual ‘map’, providing an integrated statistical view on learning, better relationships between learning statistics and other social and economic information and increased comparability and consistency of statistics. It does not itself prescribe priorities for data collection but allows data users and policy makers to consider the relative importance of various types of information. The framework is based on a model which describes seven key elements about which information is required including: participants, non-participants, providers, resources, activities, outputs/outcomes and context. In order to provide a comprehensive statistical picture, a three level information structure (individual, organisational and systemic) may be overlaid on the framework model. For further information contact Mel Butler on 02 6252 5936 or ncets@abs.gov.au or access the education and training theme page www.abs.gov.au/ncets Measuring Wellbeing in Australia Measuring Wellbeing: Frameworks for Australian Social Statistics (cat. no. 4160.0) was released on 12 October 2001. This 300 page volume describes the conceptual organisation of social statistics in the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and presents both a broad framework and various conceptual models used in each of the nine main areas of social concern that make up ABS social statistics: population, family and community, health, education and training, work, economic resources, housing, crime and justice, and culture and leisure. By bringing this information together in one place, the book provides a reference point for anyone wishing to understand ABS social statistics generally, or the range of issues associated with areas of analysis of social statistics. The publication contains an introductory chapter followed by a chapter for each area of concern. It presents a method for approaching the measurement of wellbeing based on six steps: defining the area, identifying its importance to individual wellbeing and then the wellbeing of society, identifying key social issues, identifying population groups, developing conceptual/statistical frameworks, and identifying data sources to address the key issues. Each chapter is structured along these lines. The publication provides an ideal reference point for understanding the concepts that underpin the rich array of statistical information regularly published by the ABS. In particular, it makes an excellent companion to Australian Social Trends (cat. no. 4102.0), which presents a large array of contemporary social statistics and analytical commentary organised by the same areas of social concern. The printed publication is priced at $56.00 but is available on-line, free of charge, from the ABS web site <www.abs.gov.au>, and from the ABS@ and AUSSTATS facilities for those who subscribe to these services. It will also to be made available from the ‘Statistical Concepts Library’ on the ABS web site within a few weeks. Australia’s Environment: Issues and Trends, 2002 The second edition of Australia’s Environment: Issues and Trends (cat. no. 4613.0) will be released later this year. The main topics covered will be the environmental impacts of agriculture, forestry, mining and waste, with a chapter on measuring environmental values. The environmental consequences of changing trends in agriculture will be examined. Trends in land use, crops grown and water consumption over the last decade will be included. Responses to land degradation will be covered, with an emphasis on the ‘Decade of Landcare’. Information and issues on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) will also be included. There will be a focus on the economic, environmental and social values of forests, including data and analysis on carbon storage in Australia’s forests, production of forest products such as timber, woodchips & firewood. Land clearing and other threats to forests will also be covered. A topic on mining and the environment will contain detailed economic data and information on social factors such as tourism and employment, and a detailed analysis of environmental impacts of mining such as land disturbance, air and water pollution, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. A section on environmental management will include data on rehabilitation bonds and environmental technologies used by the mining industry. Treatment of waste will be addressed. This will contain data on quantities, disposal methods and methods to reduce waste flow in Australia. Re-use, recovery and recycling activity of householders and businesses and waste management costs will also be covered. This edition of Australia’s Environment: Issues and Trends will take a close look at a number of ways in which Australia’s natural resources and environmental assets may be measured or valued, both in monetary and non-financial terms. It will cover techniques used to estimate environmental values in monetary terms, the incorporation of natural assets on the national balance sheet, environmental protection expenditure, environmental accounting and non-financial environmental values. For further information contact Michael Vardon 02 6252 7348 or michael.vardon@abs.gov.au Regional Population Growth, Australia and New Zealand Regional Population Growth, Australia and New Zealand, 1991 to 2001 (cat. no. 3218.0), released on 25 July 2002, provides preliminary June 2001 estimated resident population totals at the local government area, statistical local area, statistical subdivision, statistical division, statistical district and State/Territory levels for all of Australia, based on results of the 2001 census, as well as estimates of the population at June 1991 and 1996. Also included are changes in population between 1991 and 1996, and 1996 and 2001, for these areas. These estimates, as well as estimates by age and sex, are available electronically, while June 2001 local government area populations are freely available from the ABS web site by selecting Themes, Demography, then Population distribution. For New Zealand, estimates of the 1996 and 2001 resident population of Regional Councils, Territorial Authorities and New Zealand are included. A sample of the information on Queensland: Between 1996 and 2001, the two most populous LGAs in Queensland, the cities of Brisbane and Gold Coast, experienced the largest increases in population in Queensland, and in Australia, of 74,000 people and 69,000 people, respectively. New housing estates, particularly in the south, accounted for the largest increases within Brisbane LGA. The population of the south-western SLA of Doolandella-Forest Lake more than doubled between 1996 and 2001, from 6,600 to 14,300 people (an overall increase of 7,800 people at an average rate of 16.9% per year) while large increases were also recorded in the nearby SLAs of Parkinson-Drewvale (up 3,900 people) and Calamvale, Kuraby and Runcorn (each up 3,100 people). Within Gold Coast City, Guanaba-Currumbin Valley recorded the largest increase in population of all Queensland SLAs, up 11,000 people. This represented an average annual growth rate of 12.0% since 1996. For further information contact Matthew Montgomery on 02 6252 6487 or matthew.montgomery@abs.gov.au Release of Voluntary Work 2000 Confidentialised Unit Record File (CURF) Voluntary work plays a very important role in meeting needs within the community and helping to develop and reinforce social networks and cohesion. In the Survey of Voluntary Work conducted throughout Australia in 2000, the ABS collected data on what kinds of people volunteer and the varied activities they undertake, among other things. Interesting information from the survey includes the differences in the kinds of organisations men and women volunteer for and the different levels of volunteering across the States and Territories and between the big cities and regional Australia. The Voluntary Work 2000 CURF, released on the 26 June 2002, allows detailed examination of voluntary work within Australia. For further information contact Javad Seyedi on 02 6252 6063 or javad.seyedi@abs.gov.au
Population Distribution, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians Population Distribution, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (cat. no. 4705.0) was released on 26 June 2002. Using the results of the 2001 Census of Population and Housing, the publication presents the geographic distribution of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of Australia. Census counts are presented both on the basis of where the Indigenous population usually lives as well as where they were counted on census night. The publication also includes the estimated resident Indigenous population for Australia and each State and Territory and a discussion about the quality of the census counts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Population counts are also provided for Australia, States and Territories and for areas included in the Australian Indigenous Geographical Classification (AIGC), that is ATSIC regions, Indigenous areas and Indigenous locations. The AIGC is designed to provide a meaningful basis for presenting Indigenous statistics at the local and regional level. For further information please contact Catriona Bate on 02 6252 7647 or catriona.bate@abs.gov.au 2001 National Health Survey Results from the 2001 National Health Survey (NHS) are expected to be available from early October 2002. The survey was conducted in about 18,000 private dwellings throughout Australia and was the fifth large scale survey of health conducted by the ABS since 1977. A supplementary survey of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was conducted in association with the 2001 NHS. This supplementary survey was conducted on a sample of about 2,800 Indigenous adults and children from across Australia, including remote areas. Results from this survey are expected to be released in October 2002. To ensure it addressed the highest priority health information needs, the NHS was developed in consultation with a range of government, health professional, academic, industry and community organisations. The survey obtained information about the health status of Australians of all ages, focusing on the National Health priority areas of asthma, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, mental health and injuries. Information was also obtained about the use of health services and aspects of lifestyle which may affect people’s health, including some preventive health behaviours. Further information about the survey, including a list of the output data items to be available, can be found at the Health theme page on the ABS web site <www.abs.gov.au>. Data will be published at the Australia, State/Territory and ASGC Remoteness grouping levels. Smaller areas may be available, depending on confidentiality requirements. For further information on the NHS contact Mike Langan on 02 6252 6403 or mike.langan@abs.gov.au and for further information on the NHS Indigenous supplement contact Ian Brodie-Reed on 02 6252 7269 or ian.brodie-reed@abs.gov.au Estimation of Seasonal Factors for a Short Time Span Using Multi-level Modelling The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is continually improving the source and methods of its surveys. Methodological changes to the source or method of a survey can have an effect on the original survey estimates as well as time series estimates, (i.e. the trend and seasonally adjusted estimates). To assess the impact of the change of survey, a parallel survey original estimate can be calculated using data collected from the old and the new survey for one or more overlapping time periods. The number of overlapping time periods for which this is done is typically short due to cost constraints. To assist users, it is necessary to calculate time series estimates for the survey on its new basis, but traditional seasonal adjustment methods cannot adequately calculate time series estimates for short time series. The Time Series Analysis section has developed an approach for estimating seasonal factors for short spans of time series data. For a modified survey, a realistic assumption is that the new survey is measuring the same underlying activity as the old survey. This means that the trend movement is generally the same, but may be at a different level. Seasonal factors, however, are assumed to be different for different surveys. This information, over a number of lower level series, is used in multi-level modelling to test for seasonal factor differences between the old and new survey data over the overlapping time periods and to produce seasonal factors for the new survey time series at an aggregate level. The method has been applied to test and produce seasonal factors for the private sector gross earning component from the quarterly economy activity survey, published in Business Indicators, Australia (cat. no. 5676.0), which replaces Company Profits, Australia (cat. no. 5651.0) and Inventories and Sales, Selected Industries, Australia (cat. no. 5629.0), using four parallel quarter estimates over 2001. The result has been used in the compilation of the National Accounts. This research will continue to be investigated by The University of Wollongong in collaboration with the ABS. For further information contact Craig McLaren on 02 6252 6540 or craig.mclaren@abs.gov.au, or Mark Zhang on 02 6252 5132 or mark.zhang@abs.gov.au Private Health Establishments Collection Review The annual Private Health Establishments Collection (PHEC) has been reviewed. This is in line with the broad strategic direction of the ABS to undertake regular reviews so that all collections continue to produce high quality output which is both relevant and responsive to clients’ needs. The review focused on the inter-related issues of reducing the current substantial load and ensuring that only essential data items were collected. The outcomes from the review apply to the collection of 2000-2001 data, which will be released on 27 September 2002 in Private Hospitals, Australia (cat. no. 4390.0). The Private Health Establishments Collection is quite complex and at times can place an high collection burden on hospitals. Its content was examined closely with the result being the deletion or modification of questions that were no longer relevant, produced data that had never been disseminated or were very complicated or time consuming for hospitals to complete. The large reduction in the number of data items collected assisted with the easing of respondent burden placed on hospitals. At the same time checks were made to ensure that data was not already collected by other agencies. Approximately 50% of the collection data is now supplied by the relevant Health Departments as by-product data. As part of the review the ABS reassessed the data most appropriate for dissemination in the annual publication. Complex data items such as same-day band descriptors and patient overnight classification for benefit purposes, surgical and obstetric procedures and consumer related issues are no longer collected, however, the series of major private hospital statistics, including beds, separations, patient days, special care units, staffing and financial data are still available. For further information contact Andrew Cumpsty on 07 3222 6374 or andrew.cumpsty@abs.gov.au
With the initial release last June of data from the 2001 Census, a wide range of free Census data became readily available on the internet at www.abs.gov.au/census. The 2001 Census Community Profiles and Census Snapshots have proven extremely popular. The Basic Community Profiles area set of 21 tables (in Excel format) which provide a detailed statistical profile and the Snapshots provide a narrative summary of census information including comparisons over time. Users can obtain these profiles and snapshots for areas down to Statistical Local Areas (SLAs). SLAs within Brisbane City equate with suburbs and outside Brisbane they most often equate with Local Government Areas. In large provincial centres such as Townsville, Cairns, Toowoomba, Gold Coast and Ipswich, SLAs represent suburbs or groups of suburbs. An extra 12 tables in the Basic Community Profile series, covering topics such as educational qualifications, labour force status, occupation, industry, method of travel to work and family income will become available free on the internet on 19 November 2002 with the second (final) release of the 2001 Census data. Also available free are the first release Indigenous Profile tables down to Indigenous Area level (there are 124 Indigenous Areas in Queensland) and the main findings of the Census publication, Selected Social and Housing Characteristics (cat. no. 2015.0). Instant Downloading of Priced Census Products No more waiting to get the data you need. Just select the products you want on the Census web pages, provide credit card details and download. For example, you can download the Basic Community Profiles for Local Government Areas, Postal Areas, Commonwealth and State Electoral Divisions and Census Collection Districts (in urban areas these districts comprise about 250 private dwellings). Each Basic Community Profile for an area costs $10. The following profile series will be available next year (price is $10 for all profiles except the Expanded Community Profile at $75) : Time Series Profile (Feb. 2003) Usual Residents Profile (April 2003) Expanded Community Profile (June 2003) Working Population Profile (July 2003) CDATA 2001 This is a CD-ROM product that combines the credibility of 2001 Census data with powerful MapInfo mapping software so you can have Australian demographic data at your fingertips. It includes sophisticated data manipulation, report generation and mapping functions which provide a tool to analyse, integrate and visualise a multitude of research and planning needs. CDATA 2001 allows you access to the latest figures on Australian society for small areas (Collection Districts) through to complete States and Territories and total Australia. It also contains digital boundaries for Collection Districts and underlying basic topography such as major roads and rivers. There are two versions of CDATA 2001: The Full GIS version ($8,500 for Queensland) and the Quickbuild version ($5,000 for Queensland). The purchase price includes two releases for each product. Release 1, scheduled for 26 September this year, will contain the 2001 Census first release data and Release 2, targetted for June 2003, will contain the second release data. Classroom training for CDATA 2001 will be available from October 2002. Inquiries about CDATA 2001 and discounts available should be made to Greg Lawrence on (07) 3222 6280. Consultancy Services The ABS Information Consultancy team in the Queensland Office can tailor tables to meet your specific requirements. This provides the flexibility to select any number of census variables for any geographic area (any area can be approximated by aggregation of Collection Districts, e.g. the area within 5 kilometres radius of a fixed point). A consultancy charge applies to these services. For further information contact Keith Carter on 07 3222 6360 or keith.carter@abs.gov.au
Document Selection These documents will be presented in a new window.
|
||||
