RESULTS AND OUTPUT
Public consultation
During 2009, a comprehensive consultation program will provide users with an opportunity to suggest improvements and to propose new products to meet emerging needs.
Population measures
The 2011 Census will be conducted on an actual location basis. In Censuses prior to 2006, the first data to be released were presented on an ‘as enumerated’ basis with a range of usual residence based data released later. For 2006, standard products were released based on where people usually live (place of usual residence), with later release of ‘as enumerated’ data. It is expected that this will again be the case for the 2011 Census.
Classifications
Most classifications to be used in the 2011 Census will be similar to those used in the 2006 Census. Some new and revised classifications will be necessary to reflect changes in the Australian social environment and to describe new topics introduced to the Census. Comment will be sought during 2009 on classifications.
Data release
In recent Censuses, data have been released in two stages. It is expected that this will again be the case for the 2011 Census, with the aim being to deliver the results earlier than previous Censuses. At this stage it is envisaged that the topics included in these two releases will be similar to the 2006 Census.
Evaluation of undercount
An integral step in the conduct of the Census is an evaluation of underenumeration. For this purpose a Post Enumeration Survey will be conducted soon after Census Night.
Further detailed evaluation studies will be conducted to provide users of Census data with information about data quality, and to provide feedback for improvements for the following Census.
Geographic outputs
The 2006 edition of the Australian Standard Geographic Classification (ASGC) (cat. no. 1216.0) defined the collection district (CD) as the smallest geographical building block of the Census. CDs had a dual purpose. They were primarily designed to manage the collection operation and were also the geographic area for outputs of Census data. To ensure that everyone was counted, collection requirements generally took precedence and the CD was not always an optimal geographic area for Census data outputs.
To improve the geographic outputs from the Census, and provide users with the ability to specify areas of special interest, the ABS has created a new level of geography called a mesh block (MB). To maintain confidentiality mesh blocks will generally be greater than 30 dwellings and most will be less than 60 dwellings in size. The 2006 Census was coded to mesh blocks as well as CDs, and this will allow basic counts of persons and dwellings based on mesh blocks to be made available free of charge on the ABS web site. More detailed data for aggregates of mesh blocks is available for a fee through the ABS consultancy process.
The ABS is reviewing the ASGC with the primary aim of simplifying and stabilising the classification. Details of the review and a proposal to replace the ASGC can be found in the Information Paper Review of the Australian Standard Geographic Classification (cat. no. 1216.0.55.001).
The proposed new Australian statistical geography will be built up from mesh blocks and be composed of a hierarchy of geographical units that will fulfil all the functionality of the present ASGC. For example, it is anticipated that the CD will be replaced by a similar sized unit. This new unit is expected to be called a statistical area (SA) 1.
The new Australian statistical geography, if adopted by ABS, will form the basis for geographies for the 2011 Census. The majority of Census output for the 2011 Census will be available on a usual residence basis for individual SA1s and aggregations of them. These aggregations will include other higher level units in the 2011 edition of the new Australian statistical geography, together with Census geographic areas such as local government areas (LGAs), postal areas and suburbs (derived from aggregates of mesh blocks).
The introduction of mesh blocks will provide a more stable underlying geography which will enhance the ABS's ability to produce time series data for small area statistics.
For the 2011 Census, users will be able to request data for customised regions or areas, based on aggregates of mesh blocks.
Adding value to the Census
In the lead up to the 2006 Census, the ABS initiated the Census Data Enhancement (CDE) Project. This project involved the establishment of a Statistical Longitudinal Census Dataset (SLCD) based on a 5% random sample of the Census. The SLCD will be brought together from successive Censuses, starting in 2006, using probabilistic linking techniques. Census data prior to 2006 will not be included. Through this project, it is envisaged that the Census can be made more useful to researchers.
Specified non-ABS datasets may be used in conjunction with the sample, for approved statistical purposes. The specified datasets are: the birth and death registers; Department of Immigration and Citizenship's (DIAC) Settlement database; and national disease registers. For example, information from DIAC's Settlement database may be used with the longitudinal information from the Census. Records will be matched using variables such as date of birth, sex, country of birth and geographic area. Previously this process did not involve the ABS keeping name and address from the Census. The ABS will be reviewing CDE for 2011. This may include an option to retain an encoded version of name for future CDE, which would not enable a link back to a unique name. If this option is considered it will be subject to a separate public consultation process.
The first longitudinal view of the SLCD will not be available until after the 2011 Census has been processed. It is the ABS view that the project continue for the 2011 and future Censuses.
More information on the Census Data Enhancement Project is available through the following publication:
Census Data Enhancement Project: An Update, June 2006 (cat. no. 2062.0).
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