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GEOGRAPHIC CLASSIFICATIONS
The Non-ABS Structures are eight hierarchies of regions which are not defined or maintained by the ABS, but for which the ABS is committed to providing a range of statistics. They generally represent administrative units such as Postcode and Local Government Areas. They are:
The basic spatial unit of the classification is the Mesh Block (MB). From these fundamental spatial units the main structure forms Statistical Area 1's (SA1s) which comprise one or more MBs. Under the hierarchical system of the ASGS, SA1s can be further grouped into larger units called Statistical Area 2's, Statistical Area 3's, and the largest grouping called Statistical Area 4's. At each level of the classification, the units in aggregate cover the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps. For the 2012-13 AATSIHS, responding households were coded to SA1s according to the July 2011 edition of the ASGS. Note there are limits to the extent to which survey data can be compiled for sub-state areas, particularity those with smaller populations. The ability of the survey to provide reliable estimates for sub-state areas is dependent upon factors such as the number of persons sampled within a particular area and the level of disaggregation required (that is, the number of variables cross-classified/level of detail required for each variable). See Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) for more information. In general, data from the AATSIHS can be output for the following geographic areas based on the ASGS:
Greater Capital City Statistical Area Available for each state/territory. Each capital city is defined as the area covered by the relevant city Statistical Area 4's. Section of State In relation to the 2012-13 AATSIHS, the Section of State structure uses population counts from the 2011 Census of Population and Housing to classify SA1s as urban or rural. Within a state or territory, each Section of State represents an aggregation of non-contiguous geographical areas of a particular urban/rural type. The categories are:
Remoteness The ASGS Remoteness classification is based on the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA), mapped to SA1s from the Census of Population and Housing. Each respondent was classified to one of the following categories, based on the SA1 in which they resided (and were enumerated):
Indigenous Regions Indigenous Regions (IREGs) are large geographical units loosely based on the former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission boundaries. For the 2011 Census 57 IREGs were defined to cover the whole of geographic Australia without crossing state and territory borders. These include non-spatial IREGs for 'Migratory - Offshore - Shipping' and 'No Usual Address' in each state and territory for which SA1s of the same name are allocated. All remaining SA1s are allocated to a spatial IREG and respondents are classified to an IREG based on the SA1 in which they reside. See Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS): Volume 2 - Indigenous Structure (cat. no. 1270.0.55.002) for more information. Medicare Locals Medicare Locals (MLs) have not been incorporated into the Non-ABS Structures of the 2011 ASGS. These public health geographic areas have been developed by the Australian Government for reporting purposes of the National Health Reform Performance and Accountability Framework. For AATSIHS, SA1s have been allocated between the 61 Medicare Locals across Australia. For analysis purposes, these MLs have been grouped into seven peer groups by the National Health Performance Authority (in conjunction with the ABS). Each peer group contains MLs with populations of similar remoteness and socioeconomic status to allow for more appropriate comparisons to be made. More information can be found at http://www.medicarelocals.gov.au, or, for peer group design information, at http://www.nhpa.gov.au.
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