ABS NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

NatStats 2010 Conference




Registrations Now Open!

The Australian Bureau of Statistics is pleased to announce that registrations are now open for the NatStats 2010 Conference.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics, through its initiative, the National Statistical Service, aims to improve the use and understanding of statistics for Australians.

NatStats 2010 will be held from 15 - 17 September 2010 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour. The conference aims to build on the enthusiasm generated by the inaugural NatStats conference held in 2008.

The overall theme for the conference is "Measuring what counts: economic development, wellbeing and progress in 21st century Australia", which will explore drivers of economic and related social change that are shaping Australia's progress. Conference speakers will highlight the importance of statistics in understanding and responding to these challenges.

As a participant in the NatStats 2010 Conference, you will have the opportunity to contribute your ideas for improving the Australian statistical system for the future.

Dr Ken Henry AC, Secretary to the Commonwealth Treasury, will deliver the opening plenary address at the conference and the Hon Dr Geoff Gallop AC, Director of the Graduate School of Government at the University of Sydney, will deliver a presentation focused around improving the wellbeing of Australians.

Prof Paul Cheung, Director of the United Nations Statistics Division, will also be speaking as part of a detailed panel discussion titled, "Measuring progress: from theory to practice", alongside Dr David Gruen, Director of the Macro-Economic Group at the Treasury.

Other NatStats 2010 speakers include Ms Jane Halton PSM, Secretary of the Department of Health and Ageing who will speak on the role of statistics in health; and Mr Paul McClintock AO, Chairman of the COAG Reform Council, who will be speaking about the measurement of disadvantage, inequality, and social inclusion. In addition, Ms Martine Durand, Chief Statistician and Director of the OECD Statistics Directorate, and Mr Phil Lowe, Assistant Governor (Economic) of the Reserve Bank of Australia, will together examine some of the changes we can expect to witness in the global economy and the implication for Australia.

For a full list of confirmed speakers, program and registration information, please visit the NatStats 2010 website or email natstats@nss.gov.au.

NatStats 2010 Event Details

Date: Wednesday 15 - Friday 17 September 2010

Venue: Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour

Cost: $795 Early Bird (Until July 16 2010)

$995 Full Fee

Register now and save!

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Year Book Australia, 2009-10

Year Book Australia, 2009-10 (cat. no. 1301.0) was released on 4 June 2010.

Year Book Australia is the principal reference work produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It provides a comprehensive and detailed statistical overview of various aspects of the economy and social conditions in Australia. In addition, it contains descriptive matter dealing with Australia's geography and climate, government, international relations, defence, education and health and welfare support systems. The electronic product takes advantage of website capabilities and differs marginally from the printed version.

National Statistical Service Newsletter (NSS News), May 2010

NSS News, May 2010 is a newsletter designed to keep you in touch with developments in the field of statistics.

Featured in this edition is:

• an update on NatStats 2010 Conference, Sydney, 15-17 September 2010
• an article on the Principles of Statistical Integration and
• an article titled 'Has life in Australia improved over the past decade?'.

Discover the ABS, 2010

Discover the ABS, 2010 (cat. no. 1303.0) was released on 20 May 2010.

Containing information about the role of the ABS, and the products and services it provides, Discover the ABS is a useful starting point for developing a greater understanding of how you can utilise the ABS to benefit your decision making.
Australian Statistical Geography Standard: Design of the Statistical Areas Level 4, Capital Cities and Statistical Areas Level 3, May 2010

Australian Statistical Geography Standard: Design of the Statistical Areas Level 4, Capital Cities and Statistical Areas Level 3, May 2010 (cat. no. 1216.0.55.003) was released on 21 May 2010.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics intends to replace the current Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) with the new Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) with effect from July 2011.

This information paper discusses the design of the SA3, SA4 and Capital City regions of the ASGS, which will become current from 1 July 2011 and calls for stakeholder comment on these regions, which will be available by emailing geography@abs.gov.au.

The ASGC is used for the collection and dissemination of geographically classified statistics. The ASGC has been the foundation of the statistical geography used by the ABS, and many other organisations, since 1984. Over the years it has been criticised on many grounds including: lack of stability over time, inconsistent population sizes of the defined areas and that some of the areas were not meaningful. Furthermore it is incompatible with mesh blocks.

The ASGS has therefore been developed to address these shortcomings. It will be based on mesh bocks and will define more stable, consistent and meaningful areas than the ASGC. It will be the new basis for the publication of the complete range of ABS spatial statistics. The ASGS will become the essential reference for understanding and interpreting the geographical context of ABS statistics.

This is the third and final information paper designed to explain aspects of the ASGS. Its purpose is to provide background to stakeholders regarding the Statistical Area 3s (SA3s) and 4s (SA4s) of the ASGS to facilitate consultation on their design.

CURF Microdata News, May 2010

CURF Microdata News, May 2010 (cat. no. 1104.0) was released on 27 May 2010.

CURF Microdata News is a quarterly newsletter created by the Microdata Access Strategies Section at the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

CURF Microdata News is aimed at informing new and current Confidentialised Unit Record File (CURF) Microdata users about issues and developments in the access to, and use of, CURF Microdata. The newsletter periodically covers topics such as available and forthcoming microdata releases, terms and conditions of access, responsible access to microdata and best practice tips, pricing, microdata research outputs, frequently asked questions, and information about applying for ABS CURF microdata.

Interested readers are also invited to visit the CURF Microdata pages on the ABS web site for relevant up-to-date information about each of these matters.

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