1270.0.55.003 - Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS): Volume 3 - Non ABS Structures, July 2016  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 13/09/2016   
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All

METHODOLOGY

Each of the Non ABS Structures have been approximated using one of three methods.

Firstly, Local Government Areas, Postal Areas, State Suburbs, Australian Drainage Divisions and Natural Resource Management Regions have been constructed by allocating whole Mesh Blocks. The relatively small size of Mesh Blocks and common boundary elements tend to allow Mesh Blocks to match these regions closely. For Postal Areas, Australian Drainage Divisions and Natural Resource Management Regions this provides an improved level of granularity in their construction compared to the previous 2011 edition of the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS), where they were previously approximated using Statistical Area Level 1 (SA1).

Secondly, Commonwealth Electoral Divisions and State Electoral Divisions have been constructed from SA1s. Use of SA1s has continued for this second edition of the ASGS to ensure that annual population estimates, released at the SA1 level, can be more easily used with these regions. Where possible, SA1s are created to contain broadly similar population counts and therefore can vary greatly in size. This means that boundary mismatches between the original and SA1 derived regions are inevitable, particularly where redesign of boundaries has failed to follow SA1 boundaries. In a number of instances the geographic match between the boundaries of SA1 derived Non ABS Structure regions and the original version of the region is poor.

Allocations of Mesh Blocks and SA1s are generally made by determining which region incorporates the greatest proportion of the estimated population of each Mesh Block or SA1. This approach allows for instances where :

  • There was a very close match between the original Non ABS Structure region and a single Mesh Block or SA1.
  • The original Non ABS Structure region contains a number of Mesh Blocks or SA1s.
  • Several of the original Non ABS Structure regions overlap several Mesh Blocks or SA1s. In these instances, Mesh Blocks or SA1s are allocated according the greatest share of the estimated population of the Mesh Block or SA1.

Thirdly, Tourism Regions have been constructed using an allocation of Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) to Tourism Regions, in consultation with the Tourism Research Australia (TRA). Use of SA2s has continued for this second edition of the ASGS to ensure that data from the Survey of Tourist Accommodation, released at the SA2 level, can be more easily used with these regions.