|
This document was added or updated on 08/11/2018.
|
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS (LGA)
The Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Local Government Areas (LGAs) are an ABS approximation of officially gazetted Local Government Areas as defined by each State and Territory Local Government Department. The 2016 ASGS edition of Local Government Areas takes into account the August 2016 PSMA Australia edition of the Administrative Boundaries. This includes the nineteen new, New South Wales councils, announced on the 12 May 2016 at https://www.strongercouncils.nsw.gov.au/.
Local Government Areas cover incorporated areas of Australia only. Incorporated areas are legally designated parts of a State or Territory over which incorporated local governing bodies have responsibility. The major areas of Australia not administered by incorporated bodies are the northern parts of South Australia, and all of the Australian Capital Territory and the Other Territories. These regions are identified as ‘Unincorporated’ in the ASGS Local Government Areas structure.
More information on local governments can be found at the Australian Local Government Association. |
METHODOLOGY
Within the ASGS, the boundaries produced for Local Government Areas are constructed from allocations of whole Mesh Blocks. The ABS will review the Local Government Areas annually and any changes will be applied by the inclusion or exclusion of whole Mesh Blocks.
For the 2016 ASGS edition, there are 563 ABS defined Local Government Areas, including Unincorporated areas.
UPDATED MESH BLOCK ALLOCATION, OCTOBER 2018
In October 2018 the allocation of two Mesh Blocks to 2016 Local Government Areas were updated to rectify past misallocation that was caused by gaps in information provided to the ABS about Local Government Area changes. This impacted four Local Government Areas in two states:
- In Qld, Mesh Block 30564064500 was reallocated from Cook (S) to Hope Vale (S). The 2016 Census population of this Mesh Block is 53 people. The updated allocation increases the Hope Vale (S) Census population to 971 (an increase of 5.8%). It decreases the Census population of Cook (S) to 4,173 (a decrease of 1.3%).
- In NSW, Mesh Block 10183030000 was reallocated from Canterbury-Bankstown (A) to Georges River (A). The 2016 Census population of this Mesh Block is 124 people. The updated allocation increases the Georges River (A) Census population to 146,965 (an increase of 0.08%). It decreases the Census population of Canterbury-Bankstown (A) to 346,178 (a decrease of 0.04%).
The downloads tab of this publication now includes updated:
- Digital Boundary files in various formats
- Mesh Block to LGA allocation table
- Geographic correspondence file
The ABS is updating key datasets that are impacted by this change in the allocation of the two Mesh Blocks.
- Updated Census of Population and Housing data will be available through Census QuickStats. For the LGA of Hope Vale (S) users can access Census Community Profiles data using the Hope Vale, Indigenous Area, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Community Profile. This Indigenous Area has the same geographic boundary as the updated Hope Vale (S) LGA. Census TableBuilder users can access Census data on the latest 2018 LGA boundaries using the TableBuilder recode files available in the ASGS Volume 3 - Non ABS Structures, July 2018 publication.
- Updated Estimated Resident Population data was released in August 2018 in Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2016. This includes revised populations for the updated 2016 Local Government Areas included in this publication.
- Data by Region provides a summary of different datasets by individual regions for all of Australia, including by Local Government Areas. Data by Region is being updated incrementally, with a full update scheduled in early to mid 2019. For the impacted Local Government Areas users are encouraged to access required data from the source, prior to this full update.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA NAMES
Local Government Area names are abbreviated in this structure. A suffix also indicates the Local Government Area status. Examples of these include:
- City of Albury: Albury (C)
- District Council of Copper Coast: Copper Coast (DC)
Where the same Local Government Area name appears in different States or Territories, the State or Territory abbreviation appears in parenthesis after the name. Local Government Area names are therefore unique.
In all States and the Northern Territory each incorporated area has an official status. In this ASGS edition, the various Local Government Area status types include:
- New South Wales: Cities (C) and Areas (A)
- Victoria: Cities (C), Rural Cities (RC), Boroughs (B) and Shires (S)
- Queensland: Cities (C), Shires (S), Towns (T) and Regional Councils (R)
- South Australia: Cities (C), Rural Cities (RC), Municipalities/Municipal Councils (M), District Councils (DC), Regional Councils (RegC), Towns (T) and Aboriginal Councils (AC)
- Western Australia: Cities (C), Towns (T) and Shires (S)
- Tasmania: Cities (C) and Municipalities (M)
- Northern Territory: Cities (C), Towns (T), Municipalities (M) and Shires (S).
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA CODING STRUCTURE
Local Government Areas are identified by four digit codes. Codes are unique only within a State or Territory. For unique Australia-wide Local Government Area code identification, the four digit code must be preceded by the State or Territory code. All Local Government Area codes end with the digit 0.
The codes used for the 2016 Local Government Areas may not match those used for past versions in some instances. Changes to codes occur where a Local Government Area is abolished or has changed significantly. The previous code will be retired and the replacement Local Government Area will be given a new code. A geographic correspondences file enabling the translation of data from 2011 to 2016 LGAs is available in the downloads tab of this publication.
Non-spatial special purpose codes are included as balancing items. Mesh Blocks allocated to these codes are not part of Local Government Area.
- LGA code 9799 is reserved for cases where people are coded to Migratory, Off-shore and Shipping Mesh Blocks.
- LGA code 9499 is reserved for cases where people are coded to No usual address Mesh Blocks.
Example:
|
| State Name | State Code | Local Government Area Code | Local Government Area Name |
|
| Queensland | 3 | 31000 | Brisbane (C) |
| Queensland | 3 | 31750 | Bulloo (S) |
| Queensland | 3 | 31820 | Bundaberg (R) |
| Queensland | 3 | 31900 | Burdekin (S) |
| Queensland | 3 | 32080 | Cairns (R) |
| Queensland | 3 | 32250 | Carpentaria (S) |
| Queensland | 3 | 32260 | Cassowary Coast (R) |
| Queensland | 3 | 39799 | Migratory - Offshore - Shipping (Qld) |
| Queensland | 3 | 39499 | No usual address (Qld) |
|
|
|
|
Print Page
Print All