TOPICS - TO BE REVIEWED
Topics in this section are under review prior to a decision being made about their inclusion in the 2016 Census. ABS considers that they may have a lower rating on one or more of the topic assessment criteria. There may be concerns about the level of national importance of the topic, the quality of the data, the overlap with another topic, or there may be suitable alternative administrative data sources available.
It is expected that some of these topics may be recommended for exclusion from the 2016 Census, if there is insufficient justification or quality concerns that are not adequately addressed. The ABS is seeking user input to determine the priority of these topics.
As part of the review, it is also possible that some topics may be reduced in frequency to a 10-yearly cycle, rather than being included in every Census.
Some of these topics may require some question redesign if they are to be included in the 2016 Census.
Click on the topic below for more details or see Supporting Information on Topics.
Ancestry
A person's ancestry, in conjunction with their country of birth and information on whether their parents were born in Australia or overseas, assists in indicating the ethnic background of first and second generation Australians. The ABS recommends this topic be reviewed in conjunction with Country of birth of parents to determine priority, relevance and suitability. The ABS is also seeking views on whether this topic could potentially be included on a 10-yearly cycle rather than a five-yearly cycle.
Australian citizenship
Information about Australian citizenship is used to monitor the take-up of Australian citizenship by the overseas-born population and identify the characteristics of non-Australian citizens. The ABS recommends investigation of administrative data sources to determine their suitability.
Country of birth of parents
Data on a person’s ethnic or cultural origins are in high demand, and this information is useful for population groups which are unable to be identified through the other ethnicity questions. The ABS is reviewing this topic in conjunction with the Ancestry topic to determine priority, relevance and suitability, and is seeking user input.
Government/Non-government employer
Information on government/non-government employer, classified by industry and occupation, is required by labour market economists to analyse changes in the labour force. The ABS considers that this topic rates less highly on the assessment criteria than other topics, and will review its relevance for inclusion in the 2016 Census.
Internet access
This topic has been included on the Census form since 2001 and is important for government policy and planning decisions. The ABS is seeking further justification for the ongoing collection of information about internet access and the relative priorities of the potential components of this topic (type of dwelling internet connection, personal access to the internet or personal use of the internet).
Need for assistance
Data on people who need assistance due to a severe or profound disability are required for developing federal and state government policies and community based programs, and for program and service delivery funding allocation. The ABS is considering recent international recommendations on disability questions suitable for Censuses.
Status in employment
Information about status in employment is important for distinguishing between employees and the self-employed, and is used for a wide range of social and economic policy and planning purposes. The ABS considers that this topic rates less highly on the assessment criteria than other topics and is seeking user justification for the ongoing inclusion of this topic.
Unpaid work
This topic was introduced in the 2006 Census. It includes questions on: unpaid domestic work, unpaid care of other due to disability, illness or old age; unpaid care of children; and voluntary work. Information is sought on whether any components of this topic have higher priority than other components and the relative priority of a potential new component on main activity of people not in the labour force.
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