CHANGES FROM THE PRELIMINARY LIST
The 2013 list of ESA for Australia reflects the feedback received through the extensive consultation process conducted. As a result of this process, fourteen statistics were added to the list and eight statistics were created as a result of grouping together or expanding the scope of existing statistics to improve the granularity presented across the list. Five statistics present on the preliminary list were removed. Whilst other statistics have experienced minor name changes, they essentially have remained as suggested in the preliminary list.
One of the areas which received significant focus during the consultation process involved the process of grouping related indicators and specific statistics within a broader statistical label. As can be seen by the full list in Appendix 1, the 74 statistics in the 2013 list of ESA for Australia do not represent 74 individual indicators. Rather, each of the statistics represents a cohesive set of related statistical information that could be represented by a single statistical label. The 2013 list improved the consistency in applying this principle, which was originally attempted in the preliminary list.
THE ECONOMY PILLAR
The Economy pillar was updated with the inclusion of four additional statistics: Gross state product and component statistics, Input - output tables, Retail trade statistics, and Taxation revenue and transfers. Three other statistics in this pillar were either grouped or re-scoped to improve granularity: Capital formation indicators, Employee earnings and hours worked, Household income, wealth and expenditure statistics (also in Society pillar). No statistics were removed from this pillar.
THE ENVIRONMENT PILLAR
The Environment pillar experienced the greatest change from the preliminary to the 2013 list, with six statistics added to the list (Ambient air quality, Biodiversity and ecosystem health, Climate statistics, Extractive and mineral resources statistics [also in Economy pillar], Pollution and accumulation of waste, and Water quality of natural systems). Three statistics were grouped into one, with Agricultural, forestry and fisheries statistics previously being presented individually. On the other hand, Household recycling and Number of threatened species and ecological communities did not make it onto the 2013 list of ESA for Australia following the consultation process.
THE SOCIETY PILLAR
In the 2013 list of ESA for Australia, the Society pillar gained four additional statistics: Ageing and aged care statistics, Birth statistics, Household travel (time, distance and mode), and Volunteering data. Based on the outcomes of the consultation process, three statistics present in the preliminary list did not make it onto the 2013 list of ESA for Australia: Perceptions of safety, Subjective wellbeing, and Pharmaceutical and health supplement statistics. Four statistics were also grouped or re-scoped as part of the process of refining the list: Disease prevalence, Early childhood development, Enrolment and attainment in tertiary and vocational education and training, and Participation and attainment in schooling (primary and secondary).
OTHER CHANGES TO THE LIST
A number of additional statistics suggested through the consultation phase were already considered by the ABS to be embedded within existing statistics on the preliminary list. As a result, a “descriptor” column was added to clearly articulate the statistics contained within the broader statistical labels.
The justifications supporting the inclusion of each statistic have been further refined as a result of feedback received, which particularly focused on the policy relevance of certain statistics (criterion 1), as well as their relevance for assessing progress (criterion 2). Whilst a narrative approach to the justifications has been retained, they have been written to enable the relationship of each statistic to the criteria to be clearly identified.
The 2013 list of ESA for Australia was also updated to ensure that the datasets linked to each essential statistic are more comprehensive. This was achieved thanks to the feedback collected through the consultation process. Likewise, feedback was received on which disaggregation variables are deemed essential, which is reflected in the updated critical frequency, spatial and other disaggregation variables contained in the list.
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