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METHODOLOGY

This analysis uses the 2006 Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) Remoteness Structure. The ABS has the capacity to construct RA level population estimates from Census Collection Districts (CDs). This is the most accurate way of generating RA level data because the RA structure is built from CDs which share common characteristics of remoteness. However, births and deaths registrations data are currently unavailable at the CD level. Therefore, a method of approximating RA data was used.

The concordance of data was undertaken in two stages:

1) Birth and death registrations and population estimates for the years 2005 to 2010 were concorded to 2010 Statistical Local Areas (SLA);

2) SLA concorded births and deaths registrations and population estimates were then concorded to 2006 RAs.

The SLA level data were split and allocated to RAs using a standard concordance for births and deaths registrations and population estimates. However, since SLAs do not correspond perfectly to the remoteness structure, this analysis is considered to be illustrative.

Queensland has been excluded from this analysis as deaths registrations for 2010 include deaths that occurred between 1992 and 2006 but which were not registered until November 2010. As a result, 374 such deaths were registered, many of which were residents of remote and very remote areas of Queensland. Registration of these outstanding deaths has affected mortality rates for remote and very remote areas of Australia, with analysis in this chapter excluding data for Queensland. For further information on this, refer to the Technical Note: Registration of outstanding deaths, Queensland, 2010 in this publication. Other Territories are also excluded from the remoteness structure.

Year of occurrence data is not affected by the registration of outstanding deaths initiative. However, there is a time-lag in the availability of year of occurrence deaths data and complete data for 2010 is currently not available. It is intended that this analysis will be repeated using year of occurrence data and will include Queensland deaths data once these data are available.