1301.6.55.001 - Statistical News Tasmania (Newsletter), Winter 2002, Vol 20, No 2
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 01/10/2003
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AUSTRALIAN SOCIAL TREND DATA - Did you know that; For older people:
For younger people:
For families:
This information is drawn from the Australian Social Trends 2002 publication (Catalogue Number 4102.0) released on the 4th of June 2002. Australian Social Trends 2002 covers a wide range of information topical to Tasmania including, Population, Family, Health, Education, Work, Housing as well as over 300 social indicators. Australian Social Trends 2002 is the ninth of an annual series presenting information on contemporary social issues and areas of public policy concern. By drawing on a wide range of ABS statistics, as well as those from other sources, Australian Social Trends describes Australian society and how it is changing over time. This edition also includes a number of articles covering areas such as the risks faced by teenagers, the education of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, energy efficiency in the home, and how pay is set in Australia. As well as analytical articles, Australian Social Trends 2002 includes a set of national and State summary tables which present key social indicators in each of the seven major areas of social concern. These show at a glance how aspects of social wellbeing have been changing over time and how circumstances differ between States and Territories. Also provided is a set of tables of international comparisons for 17 countries, which include major OECD countries, Australia's nearest neighbours, and trading partners. Finally, there is a cumulative index to the 294 articles from all nine editions. It is designed to assist and encourage informed decision-making and to be of value to a wide audience, including all those involved in social policy, research, journalism, marketing and teaching, as well as anyone interested in how we live today. Australian Social Trends 2002 (Cat. no. 4102.0) will be available free of charge on the ABS web site (www.abs.gov.au). It will also be available for purchase in hardcopy format from ABS bookshops. If you have any queries relating to Australian Social Trends 2002 please feel free to contact Keith Churchill on (03) 6222 5832. AN INVITATION TO YOU: from Dennis Trewin, Australian Statistician Measuring a nation's progress - providing information about whether life is getting better - is one of the most important tasks that a national statistical agency can take on. For almost 100 years, the ABS has been measuring Australia's progress through the multitude of statistics we publish relating to Australia's economy, society and environment. However, for the most part, our statistical publications have tended to focus on each of these three broad areas in isolation. Recent years have seen growing public interest in the interrelationships between economic, social and environmental aspects of life. There have been, for example, debates about the sustainability of economic growth and a recognition that the environment is neither an inexhaustible source of raw materials nor capable of absorbing an unlimited amount of waste. Similarly, progress relates to social concerns - health, education and crime - and whether and how economic growth benefits those areas. In 1987, the World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission) called for the development of new ways to measure and assess progress towards sustainable development (often defined as 'development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'). The 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro was a further catalyst for discussion, as were calls from organisations such as the United Nations for better measures of social concerns to supplement the System of National Accounts (SNA). There is a great deal of interest as well in developing a broader set of economic statistics that give values to things hitherto left outside the traditional economic system. Around the world a consensus is growing that countries and governments need to develop a more comprehensive view of progress, rather than focussing mainly on economic indicators such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In Australia a number of projects are underway to tackle these issues, such as the State of the Environment reports, and the Commonwealth Government's set of headline sustainability indicators. The ABS invites your comment on this new publication, Measuring Australia's Progress (MAP), which we hope will enhance discussion. MAP considers some of the key aspects of progress side-by-side and discusses how they are linked with one another. This publication does not purport to measure every aspect of progress that is important. Nor does it consider all of the many different ways that parts of Australia and groups of Australians are progressing. But it does provide a national summary of many of the most important areas of progress, presenting them in a way which can be quickly understood. MAP will, I hope, inform and stimulate public debate and encourage all Australians to assess the bigger picture when contemplating progress in all its forms. This is, of course, an ambitious project. It is also one that will develop over time, and we are looking to your feedback to help us improve future issues of the publication. Should you wish to contribute, please ring Ken Tallis on (02) 6252 7290. NEW LABOUR THEME PAGE ON ABS WEB SITE On Wednesday the 12th of June the ABS released its new Labour Theme Page. The page provides links to important labour force information and the latest available data. The Labour Theme Page can be found on the ABS web site under the Themes and then under the Labour categories. The theme page will include:
For more information on the Labour Theme Page please contact Stuart Hollingsworth, (03) 6222 5876 or email Stuart at stuart.hollingsworth@abs.gov.auTHE ABS, ALWAYS SEEKING TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF IT'S OUTPUT: The information paper Improvements in ABS Economic Statistics [Arising from The New Tax System], (Cat. No. 1372.0) describes the changes that are taking place to the ABS statistical infrastructure. Most of the changes directly impact on the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Business Register. This is the list of businesses from which samples are selected to collect data for economic series. Previously, this register had been maintained by the ABS, using ABS data to update the information relating to businesses, and information from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to identify new businesses and businesses no longer operating. With the introduction of The New Tax System, the ATO created a whole-of-government register of businesses, the Australian Business Register. The ABS is now moving to use the Australian Business Register, together with additional information from the ATO, as the source of the information for the majority of businesses included on the ABS Business Register. The paper describes the treatment of these impacts in ABS statistical series. It provides details of the reference period for which the changes will first appear, whether the impact of the changes will be published with no alteration to the historical series ('bridged') or the historical series will be adjusted to include the impact ('backcast'), and whether there will be a deleterious effect on movement estimates (and the reference periods over which this will occur). This paper discusses the treatment in the national accounts of the impacts on the source data. Information is provided on the manner in which new data will be introduced, the resultant impacts on comparisons between partial indicators and the accounts, and the timetable for re-benchmarking the annual series and updating the subannual series. This paper also outlines future developments that may impact on statistical series. A SNAPSHOT OF TASMANIA FROM CENSUS 2001 Census Counts On Census Night, 7 August 2001, there were 456,652 people (224,038 males and 232,614 females) counted in Tasmania (1). This represents an decrease of 3,007 people (0.66%) since 1996 and an increase of 3,815 people (0.84%) since 1991 (see Table 2). Of those people counted on Census Night, 96% were counted at home. People of Indigenous Origin There were 15,773 people (3.5%) (7,866 males and 7,907 females) in Tasmania who identified as being of Indigenous origin in 2001. Age The median age of people in 2001 was 36 years (36 years for males and 37 years for females). Registered Marital Status In 2001, 51 per cent of the population in Tasmania were married, 3.7% were separated, 8.2% divorced while 7.1% were widowed and 30 % of the population had never been married. Ancestry In 2001 the three most common ancestries identified with were Australian 215,514 people (47%), English 185,746 people (41%) and Irish 42,552 people (9.4%). Birthplace For the 2001 Census 386,036 people (85%) stated they were Australian-born. This compares to 394,782 people (86%) in 1996 and 396,168 (88%) in 1991. The number of people born overseas was 45,375 (9.9%) compared with 46,695 (10%) in 1996 and 47,340 (10%) in 1991. Of those born overseas, the three main countries of birth were United Kingdom 21,306 (4.7%), New Zealand 3,590 (0.79%), and Netherlands 2,483 (0.55%). Language Spoken at Home English was stated as the only language spoken at home by 421,034 people (93%) in 2001. This compares with 430,085 people (94%) in 1996 and 427,506 people (95%) in 1991. The three most common languages spoken at home other than English were Italian 1,464 (0.32%), German 1,363 (0.30%), and Chinese Languages 1,342 (0.30%). Income The median weekly income for people aged 15 years and over in 2001 was $300-$399 ($400-$499 for males and $200-$299 for females). Computers and the Internet In the week preceding the 2001 Census, 170,842 people (38%) had used a personal computer at home. Of those who had used a personal computer at home, 62,244 people (14%) were aged 0-19 years, 65,935 people (14%) were aged 20-44 years, 37,176 people (8.2%) were aged 45-64 years and 5,487 people (1.2%) were aged 65 years and over. The total number of persons who had used the Internet in the week preceding the 2001 Census was 153,720. There were 24,978 people (5.5%) who had used the Internet at work only, 66,610 people (15%) at home only and 25,875 people (5.7%) elsewhere only. Families and Households In 2001, there were 54,235 couple families with children (which comprised 44% of all families in occupied private dwellings), 47,674 couple families without children (38%), 20,476 one parent families (17%) and 1,693 other families (1.4%). There were 11,604 people (2.7%) in group households in occupied private dwellings and 47,353 people (11%) in lone person households. THE 2001 CENSUS OUTPUT LAUNCH occurred at the Grand Chancellor Hotel on Monday 17 June 2002. The following speech was given by Steve Matheson, Regional Director of the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Tasmania. Good morning and welcome to this launch of the first release of data from 2001 Census of Population and Housing, ahead of schedule and within budget! My name is Steve Matheson. I am the Regional Director of the Australian Bureau of Statistics here in Tasmania. Yes, from today a vast array of data from across Australia is available. The 2001 Census is the fourteenth since the first national Census in 1911 - and of particular significance given the snapshot it provides after the first 100 years of the Australian Federation, as well being a snapshot of the nation at the beginning of the new millennium. Vital to the success of the Census is the level of public support. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all Tasmanians for their spirit of cooperation in completing the Census form on 7 August last year, and also to the 800 Tasmanians who dropped off and collected forms across the length and breadth of Tasmania - from the remotest parts of the Tasmanian wilderness to Macquarie Island and the Antarctic bases. In fact there has been an excellent level of cooperation across the country, which, coupled with successful field operations, processing and product development, will continue the reputation of the Australian Census as one of the best in the world. The Census is a great national project underpinning our democracy - it provides the basis for determining the number of seats in the House of Representatives and in setting electoral boundaries, and the basis for allocation of grants from the Commonwealth to States and Territories. Apart from these specific purposes, the Census provides government, business and the general community with statistical information to plan for, and build, a better Australia. What is it that stands the Census apart from other statistical surveys? In a Census we collect details from everybody, not just a sample of people. In the case of the 2001 Census, tables of data are available for over 37,200 small geographic areas or Collection Districts (CDs ) across the country. From these data, researchers are able to build up a mosaic picture of the larger geographic areas that are the subject of their specific analysis and research. So, for example:
Also to be released, although not for another 99 years, is the Census Time Capsule, a Centenary of Federation initiative conducted as part of the 2001 Census. People were able to choose to have their personally-identified Census information included (on microfilm) in the Time Capsule. The actual number of Australians who opted to take part in the "Time Capsule Project" will be revealed on Thursday in a joint announcement by the ABS and the National Archives of Australia. So what about some numbers from the Census. [These numbers are provided in the Information Kit.] The question likely to be on the tip of everyone's tongue is: Is the count for Tasmania up or down on what it was in since the 1996 Census. Well, the 2001 count came in at 456,652, down by just over 3000 (0.7%) on what it was 5 years ago. The counts for the south of the state are up by about 1,500, the west and northwest down by about 3,700 and the north down by about 1,100. For those historians among us the count in 1901 was 172,475, about 40% of what it is today. On Census night there were just over 180,000 (181,172) Tasmanian households. The proportion of lone person households was 26% in 2001, up from 24% in 1996. Of the people in Tasmania on census night, 1,811 were from overseas and 4,103 were from interstate. However, 9,936 Tasmanians were counted in other states on census night. For Australia as a whole, the population count was just under 19 million (18,972,350), up by 1.1 million (6.0%) from 1996. Tasmania represented 2.4% of this, slightly down from 1996 when Tasmania was at 2.6%. In Tasmania there 96 males for every 100 females counted, a far cry from 100 years ago when males outnumbered females at 108 males per 100 females. Tasmania's population is ageing, with a median age of 36 years in 2001 compared to 34 years in 1996. By comparison in 1901 it was just 21 years. The majority (84.9 %) of people counted in Tasmania were Australian-born. Of those people born overseas, over half (56%) were from the United Kingdom, Ireland or New Zealand. The number of people who reported being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin increased from 13,900 to 15,800 between 1996 and 2001 and now represent 3.5% of the total Tasmanian population. [This increase is partly explained by people's increased willingness to identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.] The median rent payment for Tasmania was $107 per week in 2001, up 10% from 1996. The $107 for Tasmania compares with $154 per week for Australia, up 19% on 1996. The median housing loan repayment for the State increased by 4% to $614 per month, while for Australia it was up 11% to $870 per month. You'll find some further numbers in the Tasmanian Census Snapshot that has been included in the information folders we will provide you with before you leave today. What about access to data? Clearly, the extent of use that is made of the data will very much depend on how readily it can be accessed. From today, Census data is available to the public through the ABS web site at www.abs.gov.au. A substantial amount of this information is available free-of-charge including:
From November you will also access more detailed Census information free-of-charge through a co-operative arrangement the ABS has with over 500 national, state, tertiary and public libraries throughout Australia. The information kit we have for you provides further details of the wide range of Census products and services available through the ABS. Selected Social & Housing Characteristics, Australia (Cat. No. 2015.0) Snapshots of Tasmania and Hobart Your Census on the Internet The Census Guide (CD ROM) Census Update Directory of Census Statistics How Australia Takes a Census So I encourage you to take an information kit. And please take the opportunity to raise any questions you may have with me or one of my colleagues from ABS Office here in Hobart. It now gives me great pleasure to officially launch the first results from the 2001 Census of Population and Housing. Thank you. ...AND ON THE RURAL SCENE The Agriculture Statistics Centre (ASC) is expecting a busy period over the next three months. The Agricultural Survey for 2001-2002 is about to be dispatched and this will go to about 35,000 farms across Australia. Following that will be the dispatch of a special Agricultural Coverage Survey which is going to an additional 20,000 businesses that appear on the Australian Business Register (ABR) maintained by the Australian Tax Office and who may be involved in agriculture. The results of the coverage survey will enable the ABS to make use of the ABR as a population source for agriculture collections and thus remove the need for it to extensively maintain its own register. It also has the potential to improve the ABS's coverage of the farming sector in Australia generally As these two collections are about to go into the field, the ASC is busy processing forms from the Land Management and Salinity Survey. This survey of about 20,000 units was dispatched in May and seeks to find out information about the extent of soil salinity and practices being used to manage it. Results of this survey are expected to be available towards the end of this year. In addition to the surveys above, the ASC has dispatched about 10,000 forms to grapegrowers across Australia. A largely user-funded collection, this seeks to obtain varietal information on grapes grown. Tasmanian grape growers, however, do not have to complete ABS forms for this. Instead, information about their production is collected under the Liquor and Accomodation Act in an arrangement with DPIWE and the Commissioner for Licensing who pass this data on to the ABS, thus saving the growers from having to fill in two forms. The ASC is also about to dispatch about 2,000 forms to orchardists. The Apples and Pears collection is also largely user-funded, and like the Vineyards collection, has a focus on varietal information. FREE CENSUS 2001 DATA ON THE ABS WEB SITE The first release of information from the 2001 Census was launched on Monday 17 June, just 10 months after collection. To enable access by the broadest possible cross-section of the community, results from the census are made available in a variety of forms and from a variety of sources, including the ABS web site. The ABS is now making more extensive use of the Internet to disseminate census data. This census, the amount of information available free on the ABS web site has significantly increased. For the first time, all first release tables in the Basic Community Profile and Indigenous Profiles are available for selected geography free of charge via the ABS web site. Basic Community Profiles The Basic Community Profile (BCP), available from the ABS web site, provides 21 first release tables containing key characteristics of the Australian population. All BCP tables down to Statistical Local Area (SLA) level of geography are provided free of charge via the web site. BCPs for other standard census geography such as small-area level Collection District can be purchased via the web - the recent introduction of e-commerce by the ABS provides more convenient and timely access to priced products. To make it easier to identify their area of interest clients can make use of an intuitive, drill-down map interface incorporating key geographic identifiers. BCPs can be purchased for customised geography by contacting the Information Consultancy Unit on 1300 135 070. Second release BCP tables are expected to be available in November 2001. Census Snapshots Census Snapshots are a narrative, statistical summary for selected geographic areas. They succinctly provide 2001 Census data in a form that is ideal for a variety of uses including news reports, school assignments or community newsletters. The information in each snapshot is extracted from Basic Community Profile (BCP) tables and some time series information. fast, easy access is made available through a "drill down" map or area name list enabling users to quickly identify and select an area of interest. Snapshots are available for Australia, States and Territories, Capital Cities and Srtatistical Local Areas (SLA).Selected Characteristics Publications The web site will also provide, free of charge, the main findings from the publication series Selected Social and Housing Characteristics, (Cat. Nos. 2015.0 - 8). This summary publication includes 2001 Census counts and selected characteristics of persons and dwellings for all Statistical Divisions (SD), and Statistical Subdivisions (SSD) within each State and Territory. Selected Social and Housing Characteristics, Australia, (Cat No. 2015.0) was released on 17 June. Other publications due for release and for which main findings will be available on release are:
Help is a mere click away There is a large amount of information available via the web site, including a wide range of reference and advisory information, including:-
Product demonstrations (CDATA 2001 demonstration coming soon) Census 2001 data can be accessed at www.abs.gov.au/census. 2001 CENSUS DATA FOR UNIVERSITIES CANBERRA. - The Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee (AVCC) and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) have signed a new agreement to enable the widespread use of 2001 Census data within the Australian university sector. The ABS/AVCC CDATA 2001 Agreement enables universities to take advantage of substantial discounts for multiple purchases of CDATA 2001. CDATA 2001 is an information solution developed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and MapInfo Australia. The CD-ROM product combines the credibility of 2001 Census data with powerful mapping software. It allows access to the latest figures on Australian society - age, education, housing, income, transport, ethnicity, occupation, making up a series of community profiles. This valuable information is available for small areas (Collection Districts) through to complete States and total Australia. CDATA 2001 is a valuable tool for academics and students, which can be accessed via libraries, used for teaching in classrooms and libraries and for research projects. The ABS/AVCC CDATA 2001 Agreement builds on the very successful ABS/AVCC CURF and AusStats Agreements, which have increased the use of ABS data by Australian universities. The Chief Executive Officer of the AVCC, John Mullarvey, said he was very happy to be signing a third agreement with the ABS. "The CDATA 2001 Agreement consolidates our relationship with the ABS, which can only benefit students and staff of Australian universities into the future. Through this Agreement, the university sector isuniversities are receiving the most recent and accurate social and economic data available as well as great value for money." For more information on the ABS/AVCC CDATA Agreement, see http://www.avcc.edu.au/news For more information on CDATA 2001, see https://www.abs.gov.au/census A QUARTER OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURE IS BY FOREIGN-OWNED BUSINESSES An Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) study has shown that 26% of private new capital expenditure in Australia was undertaken by businesses with majority foreign ownership. Of this capital expenditure by majority foreign-owned businesses, 75% was on equipment, plant and machinery and 25% was on buildings and structures. This compares with investment by Australian owned businesses, where 64% of capital expenditure was on equipment, plant and machinery and 36% on buildings and structures. This study was undertaken as part of an initiative by the ABS to improve globalisation statistics. The results for the 1998-99 financial year are published as a feature article in Australian Economic Indicators, released today. The report also shows that for the mining industry, 25% of total new capital expenditure was undertaken by majority foreign-owned businesses, while for the manufacturing industry the figure was 42%. Businesses whose majority owner was based in the USA contributed 11% of total new capital expenditure, with businesses owned by residents of the EU contributing 10% of the total. On a State basis, Victoria had the highest proportion of State new capital expenditure by foreign-owned businesses of 31% ($3.6 billion), followed by New South Wales with 27% ($4.0 billion). Details are in Australian Economic Indicators, July 2001 (ABS Cat. No. 1350.0). If you wish to purchase a copy of this publication contact the ABS Bookshop at 200 Collins Street, Hobart. RECENT RELEASES 8731.6 Building Approvals, Tasmania, March 2002 Information about ABS Building and Construction statistics and other related data is now available from the 'Building and Construction Theme Page' on the ABS web site (click on the 'Themes' button and then click on 'Building and Construction'). The theme page includes information about:the Building and Construction Program's major papers and publications (electronic and hardcopy) and contact details; each of our major data collections, and examples of uses of building and construction statistics; issues of importance to providers and clients, including publication timetables; help for providers, including contact details and the survey dispatch timetables; alternative sources of Australian building and construction data. Released 2 May. 5368.0 International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia, April 2002 This publication contains preliminary estimates of Australia's international trade in goods and services on a balance of payments basis. General merchandise imports and exports are derived mainly from international trade statistics, which are based on Australian Customs Service records. Adjustments for coverage and timing are made to international trade statistics to bring them to a balance of payments basis. The main source of services data is the quarterly Survey of International Trade in Services. Released 29 May. 3101.0 Australian Demographic Statistics December Quarter 2001 This publication contains preliminary estimates of the resident populations (ERP) of Australia and the States and Territories based on the results of the 2001 Census of Population and Housing (2001 Census). Previously published estimates dating back to 30 September 1996 have been revised to take account of this new information. The preliminary estimated resident population at 30 June 2001 is derived from Census counts of Australian usual residents at 7 August 2001 by:- 1. adding an estimate of Australian usual residents missed at the Census, as determined by the Post Enumeration Survey (PES) and demographic methods, 2. adding an estimate of Australian residents who were temporarily overseas at the Census date, as determined by migration records, and 3. subtracting an estimate of population change during 1 July to 7 August 2001, as determined from births, deaths and migration records.Final estimates of resident population will be published in March 2003 in the September Quarter 2002 issue of this publication. There were 6,420 births registered in Tasmania in 2001, an increase of 14.5% over the figure recorded in 2000. The 2001 figure is the highest recorded since 1994 when the 6,844 births were registered. The 2001 figure comfortably exceeds the average of just over 6,000 births per year registered between 1996 and 2000. Released 6 June.5250.0 Australian Business Expectations, September 2002 and June 2003 This publication contains estimates of future economic activity based on the business expectations of senior executives, managers and proprietors of businesses operating in Australia. The estimates have been compiled from data collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in its quarterly survey of business expectations. Released 20 June. Document Selection These documents will be presented in a new window.
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