• Summary
• Downloads
• Explanatory Notes
• Related Information
• Past Releases

AREA OF USUAL RESIDENCE - ASGS 2011 (MESH BLOCK)

Technical name: N/A
METeOR identifier: N/A
METeOR link: N/A
METeOR definition: N/A
Note: This is an additional data element. The Australian Statistical Geographic Standard (ASGS) is the new geographic standard that has replaced the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC). The ABS requests this data element to better report on geographic locations.

Scope

Inclusions: For all children enrolled in a preschool program:

• The area of usual residence of the child's parent or guardian, with whom the child spends the majority of their time.

• The Mesh Block (MB) of the post office box of the child's parent or guardian.

• The area of usual residence for any other parent or guardian of the child that is not the parent or guardian with whom the child spends the majority of their time.

• Children not enrolled in a preschool program.

• Address line (Child)

• Suburb/ town/ locality name (Child)

• Australian Postcode (Child)

• Australian state/territory identifier (Child)

• By recording the geographic location of the child's 'area of usual residence', this information can be used to determine the socio-economic status of the area in which the child's parent or guardian lives. This information assists in the derivation of disadvantage status and the disaggregation of Indigenous children by geographic location.

• Area of usual residence- ASGS 2011 (Mesh Block) also enables disaggregation of data by remoteness area.

• Area of usual residence- ASGS 2011 (Mesh Block) is derived from the data elements outlined above. Jurisdictions wishing to undertake their own coding should contact the ABS for further information about the correct use of geography correspondences.

• Operationally, the area of usual residence of the child's parent or guardian are recorded as it is assumed that the child lives with the parent or guardian and it is infeasible for children in scope of this collection to self-report. It is also not operationally possible to confirm whether or not the address provided on the service provider records is the place that the parent or guardian has or intends to live for 6 months or more, in accordance with the nominal definition of 'usual residence'. Operationally, the Area of usual residence - ASGS 2011 (Mesh Block) should reflect that of the parent or guardian with whom the child spends the majority of their time.

• The Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) has replaced the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC). For further information to assist you to move from the ASGC to the ASGS please refer to the ABS website at <https://www.abs.gov.au/geography>.

• Mesh Blocks (MBs) are the smallest geographic region in the ASGS and form the basis for the larger regions of the ASGS. There are approximately 347,000 MBs covering the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps. They broadly identify land use such as residential, commercial, agricultural and parks etc. MBs are the building blocks for all the larger regions of the ASGS. As MBs are very small they can be combined together to accurately approximate a large range of other statistical regions.

19999998999 - New South Wales: undefined MB
29999998999 - Victoria: undefined MB
39999998999 - Queensland: undefined MB
49999998999 - South Australia: undefined MB
59999998999 - Western Australia: undefined MB
69999998999 - Tasmania: undefined MB
79999998999 - Northern Territory: undefined MB
89999998999 - Australian Capital Territory: undefined MB
99999998999 - Other Territories: undefined MB

2.1.21 LEGAL VALUE CHECKS
	Edit specifications	Edit resolution
1.	If field contains text.	Provide a valid MB code, otherwise amend to state/territory MB supplementary value.
2.	If character length of MB field is greater than 11.	Provide a valid MB code, otherwise amend to state/territory MB undefined code.

• Code the area of usual residence to MB, using the child's parent or guardian's address line, postcode, suburb/town/locality name and state/territory, as obtained from the child's enrolment record.

• The place of usual residence of the parent or guardian with whom the child spends the majority of their time should be used for coding to MB. If the child spends 50% with one parent/guardian and 50% with the other, use the 1st residential address recorded.

• Include those children who are living outside of the jurisdiction's borders, if the child attends preschool within the jurisdiction. For example, a child living in Queanbeyan that attends a preschool within Canberra would be recorded within the ACT jurisdictional data set, not the NSW data set.

• For children boarding at a boarding school, report the MB code for the area of usual residence of the child's parent or guardian, not the boarding school.