A Message from the Regional Director
Countdown for 2006 Census begins!
Statistical Training
Census Analysis Conference 2006
Changes to release of regional population estimates
ANZSIC 2006
Now available - more free data online!
Expected Major Annual & Irregular Releases
Contact Information ACT Regional office


Message from the Regional Director

Welcome to the March 2006 issue of ABStract, the first edition since I joined the ACT Regional Office in November last year. 2006 is shaping up as a very exciting year for the Office. On August 8 the 15th Census of Population and Housing will be conducted.

I'm enjoying meeting many people in the ACT government, business and the community to talk about the Census and to gain an understanding of your statistical needs. I'd like to thank Jon Hall, the former Regional Director, for his contribution to the Office. Jon has taken up a two year position at the OECD in Paris.

Alan Masters, who many of you will know, is the Manager of the new ACT and Region Census Management Unit. February saw the start of the recruitment campaign for Census Area Supervisors. With the office Census team Alan and I had the great pleasure of launching our Census recruitment with the Mayors of Cooma, Bega and the Snowy Shire, after a National launch in Canberra. Around 70 Area Supervisors are needed in the ACT and Region – about 3,500 are recruited nationally. In April we will commence with recruitment of 700 census collectors as part of the Australia-wide campaign to recruit around 26,000 collectors nationally.

Along with the considerable amount of Census related activity, work continues to improve the general suite of statistics for the ACT.

The Whole of Government Information Development Plan (IDP) is almost ready to be formally signed by the ACT Regional Office and ACT Government. The IDP provides a framework for both the ACT Government and the ABS to work together to improve the statistical information available for the ACT.

Even before the IDP has been formally adopted a number of projects have commenced or will be starting up in the next few months.

Late last year the office undertook a review of the publications we currently produce to ascertain how well they meet the everyday needs of the government, Non-government Organisations (NGOs), business, and the wider community. I would like to thank everyone who met with Grazyna Majchrzak-Hamilton during the consultation phase of the review. The review produced a number of useful recommendations that will serve to improve the office publications and products over the next few years.

In January 2006 there was a significant upgrade made to the ABS website – mainly focussed on making it more user friendly. All of the products on the website are available free of charge (this was announced in December 2005 to coincide with the ABS' 100th birthday celebrations). Feedback I've received so far, both on price and user friendliness, has been overwhelmingly positive and I'd encourage you to rediscover our website.

In the next few months the ACT Office will be demonstrating the new look ABS website to our clients. This will be part of a wider program of statistical training which the office will be offering. The first course for the year Understanding Labour Statistics was conducted in early March. A number of other courses have been identified as being of value to the ACT Government and will be conducted later in the year.

The "Administrative Data Champion" (ADC) work has been advancing steadily since late last year. The ADC has been working with JaCS to understand the quality and user-friendliness of some of their existing administrative data. Some preliminary discussion has also been undertaken with DDHCS.

In mid February ACT Government and various community organisation representatives welcomed the opportunity to meet and comment on the Draft Information Paper Improving Statistics on Children and Youth: An Information Development Plan. The IDP and the associated consultations provide a framework to assist the ABS in improving the data available in specific subject areas. Further discussion workshops will be organised in the ACT Office with the next workshop being held on statistics in the area of Ageing.

Developing networks of data custodians, policy makers, service providers and the ABS staff involved in the same subject areas is also an area where we are considering placing some resources in the coming year. I'd be interested in your thoughts on establishing these networks.

If you would like any more information about any of this work, or the wider work of the office then please do not hesitate to email me at <karen.vitullo@abs.gov.au>.

Karen Vitullo
Regional Director, ACT Office

Countdown for 2006 Census begins!

The Census of Population and Housing takes place on Tuesday 8th August 2006, and will count every person in Australia on census night.

Over 30,000 field staff will deliver around 13 million Census forms to Australian households. The combined weight of these forms is 300 family sedans.

The Census is the largest peace-time operation undertaken in Australia and the largest of the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ collections.

The Census aims to accurately measure the number of people in Australia on Census Night, their key characteristics, and the dwellings in which they live.

According to Alan Masters, ACT and region Census Operations Manager, the 2006 Census is already well underway.

"The Census has a seven year planning cycle, with much planning and preparation already completed," said Alan.

"One of the key tasks at the moment is to have the right people in the right jobs. We are now looking for community-minded people to fill the area supervisor positions and in late April, we will be advertising the collector positions”.

STATISTICAL TRAINING

The ACT office of the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in conjunction with the National Statistics Training Institute, offers a suite of statistical training courses to external participants. These courses aim to improve the statistical capabilities of your staff and are aimed at both government and private sector clients. We have the following courses scheduled to June 2006 and are seeking registrations from people who want to participate. The courses are outlined below.

Making Quality Informed Decisions (1 day)
$350 pp (incl GST)
This course introduces the concept of 'holistic quality' through the use of a data quality framework. The framework ensures that users of statistics are able to assess whether the statistics are fit for their intended use. This course would be useful for anyone who uses statistics in decision making, or is involved in producing statistics and wants to ensure that statistics are used appropriately. The next course is scheduled for 31 March 2006

Basic Statistical Analysis (2 days)
$600 pp (incl GST)
This computer-based course develops practical skills in basic statistical and graphical data analysis techniques using Excel. The course is particularly suited to those who need to learn how to analyse and describe data that have been collected in surveys. Previous spreadsheet experience is recommended. The next course is scheduled for 11,12 April 2006

Turning Data Into Information
(2 days) $600 pp (incl GST)
This course develops skills in transforming data into meaningful written information. The course is best suited to people involved in using data to produce reports or social commentary, or with analysing and describing data that have been collected in surveys or through administrative processes. The next course is scheduled for 1,2 June 2006.

If you are interested in attending any of the above courses, require more information or would like to be on the invite list for future courses, please contact
Tina Ryan on 02 6252 8904 or <tina.ryan@abs.gov.au>.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics Presents: Census Analysis Conference 18/19 July 2006 Call of Interest: Research Papers and attendees

The conference is primarily designed to raise awareness of the analytical and research capabilities of Census data while at the same time informing users about the 2006 Census. It will also influence our Census output program, particularly those components which support research use.

The broad topics for this year’s conference are Demographic, Social, Labour, and Economic statistics, and the ABS is calling on experienced researchers and analysts to speak about their research and experience with Census data within these topics. Papers do not necessarily need to be original or unpublished, but should contain relevant research using Census data.

Conference Details

Date/Time:

Monday 17 July, 2006, Cocktail party and Registration - 7:00–9:00 pm

Tuesday 18 Wednesday 19 July, Conference - 9:00 am–5:00 pm

Tuesday 18 July, Conference dinner - 7:00 pm,

Venue: Rydges Lakeside Hotel,
Canberra City.

Cost: There is no cost to attend the conference, with morning tea, afternoon tea and lunch being provided. The dinner on the Tuesday night costs $50 per person (does not include drinks).

Maximum number of attendees: 200

The conference is still in the planning stage but if you are interested in presenting a paper or attending the conference please register your interest with Victoria Allen on
02 6252 5200 or email victoria.allen@abs.gov.au who will then keep you updated as information becomes available.

Changes to Release of Regional Population Estimates

The ABS has made some changes to the 2004-05 issue of Regional Population Growth, Australia, (cat. no. 3218.0), which was released on 23 February 2006.

These changes are aimed at streamlining the production of the publication to ensure that the 30 June 2005 estimated resident populations of all Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) in Australia are available for use by the beginning of March 2006. This has been requested by various state, territory and local governments.

Statistical Local Area (SLA) tables for Australia have been removed from the Acrobat version of the publication. However, the SLA data will still be available from the ABS website for free as an Excel spreadsheet and SuperTable datacube. These products will be released at the same time as the publication. The publication will provide a clear reference on how to access this data from the electronic product Regional Population Growth, Australia, Electronic Delivery, cat. no. 3218.0.55.001 on the ABS website.

The Acrobat version of the publication will retain the LGA and Statistical Districts table. A Statistical Division table for the states and a Statistical Subdivision summary for the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory will also be included.

The New Zealand data will be removed from the publication, resulting in a name change from Regional Population Growth, Australia and New Zealand to Regional Population Growth, Australia. The publication will provide notes on how to access the NZ data and commentary which is now freely available from the Statistics New Zealand website:
http://www.stats.govt.nz/products-and-services/info-releases/subnat-pop-est-info-releases.htm
If you have any questions please contact: Heather Latz, Assistant Director, Regional Population Unit on (08) 8237 7484;
or Katie Inglis on (08) 8237 7355.

ANZSIC 2006 Released on 28 February 2006

The 2006 Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) has been developed for use in the compilation and analysis of industry statistics in Australia and New Zealand.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and Statistics New Zealand (Statistics NZ) jointly developed this classification to improve the comparability of industry statistics between the two countries and with the rest of the world.

The 2006 edition of the ANZSIC replaces the 1993 edition, which was the first version produced. Prior to then, Australia and New Zealand had separate industry classifications.

ANZSIC 2006 reflects the outcome of a substantial review of the classification, which included extensive consultation with internal and external users and alignment with the upcoming revision of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC, Revision 4). It consequently provides a more contemporary and internationally comparable industrial classification system.

Where do I go for more information about ANZSIC 2006?

ANZSIC 2006 is available on the ABS Web site /www.abs.gov.au. Support tools such as the class change table, index of primary activities, hierarchical structure and correspondences are also available on the ABS Web site.

A new feature for ANZSIC 2006 is the availability of a search function on the ABS Web site. Users can now type in keywords and a list of possible ANZSIC codes with activity descriptions will be displayed.

Similar to ANZSIC 1993, the ANZSIC Coder on CD-ROM will be available through bookshops and the National Information and Referral Service (NIRS). This can also be ordered on-line through the ABS Web site. External users who need to install the ANZSIC Coder on their local area network can use this product.

For more information, contact the National Information and Referral Service (NIRS) at 1300 135 070 or email client.services@abs.gov.au.

Now available - more free data online!

You can now access the full range of electronic ABS data free of charge on www.abs.gov.au.

Download an expanded range of data on the ABS web site, including:
- electronic publications (PDF and HTML based content)
-Census Community Profiles down to Collection District level
- time series spreadsheets,
- other spreadsheets and data cubes.
Printed copies of publications and Census maps are still available and can be purchased either:
online using our e-commerce facility or by calling 1300 135 070.

Expected Major Annual & Irregular Releases

GENERAL

1006.0
Forward Work Program, 2006-07 to 2008-09 (June)

1101.0
Catalogue of Publications and Products, 2006 (March)

1370.0
Measures of Australia's Progress, 2006 (April)

1381.8
ACT and Region . . . A Statistical Atlas, 2006 (June)

1383.0.55.001
Measures of Australia's Progress: Summary Indicators, 2006 (April)

1383.0.55.002
Measures of Australia's Progress: At A Glance, 2006 (April)

CENSUS

2901.0
Census Dictionary, 2006 (May)

SOCIAL

4130.0.55.001
Housing Occupancy and Costs, Australia, 2003-2004 (March)

4324.0
Information Paper: National Health Survey - Confidentialised Unit Record Files, 2004-05 (April)

4324.0.30.001
National Health Survey Confidentialised Unit Record File, Australia on CD ROM, 2004-05 (April)

4324.0.55.001
National Health Survey Confidential Unit Record File via Remote Access Data Lab, 2004-05 (April)

4390.0
Private Hospitals, Australia, 2004-05 (June)

4510.0
Recorded Crime - Victims, Australia, 2005 (May)

4527.0
National Criminal Courts Data Dictionary, 2006 (May)

4704.0.55.001
Recent Developments in the Collection of Indigenous Statistics, 2005 (March)

4704.0.55.002
The Health and Welfare of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples: Summary Booklet, 2005 (June)

4715.0
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, 2004-05 (March)

4715.0.55.001
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey: Expanded Confidentialised Unit Record File, 2004-05 (May)

4715.0.55.002
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey: Expanded Confidentialised Unit Record File, Information Paper, 2004-05 (May)

4715.0.55.005
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, Australia, 2004-05 (March)

4715.0.55.006
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey: Summary Booklet, 2004-05 (June)

4715.8.55.005
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, Australian Capital Territory 2004-05 (March)

4907.0
Information Paper: Improving Statistics on Children and Youth - An Information Development Plan, 2005 (June)

4911.0
Measures of Community Connection, Australia, 2005 (April)

NATIONAL ACCOUNTS INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND FINANCE

5259.0
Australian National Accounts: Information and Communication Technology Satellite Account, 2002-03 (March)

LABOUR FORCE

6104.0
Labour Statistics in Brief, Australia, 2006 (May)

6278.0
Education and Training Experience, Australia, 2005 (March)

CONSUMER INCOME AND SPENDING

6351.0.55.001
Labour Price Index: Concepts, Sources and Methods, 2005 (June)

6429.0
Producer and International Trade Price Indexes: Concepts, Sources and Methods, 2005 (June)

SECONDARY INCOME AND DISTRIBUTION

8111.0
Research and Experimental Development, Higher Education Organisations, Australia, 2004 (May)

8127.0
Characteristics of Small Business, Australia, 2005 (April)

8129.0
Business Use of Information Technology, 2004-05 (March)

TRANSPORT

9503.0.55.001
Tourism Region Maps and Concordance Files, Australia, 2005 (June)

This listing shows a selection of ABS publications expected to be released over the coming quarter. The expected month of release is shown in brackets. Release dates may vary from those shown. Current publications and other products released by the ABS are listed on the ABS web site <www.abs.gov.au>. The web site also provides daily release information.

Contact Information — ACT Regional office

Office Hours: 9am to 4.30pm Mon to Fri Level 5
33-35 Ainslie Avenue
Canberra City
Ph: (02) 6252 8900
Fax: (02) 6247 2389

POSTAL ADDRESS: ACT ABS Office
Locked Bag 10
BELCONNEN ACT 2616
AUSTRALIA

CPI INFORMATION LINE: 1902 981 074
(75c per minute)

WEB SITE: https://www.abs.gov.au


NATIONAL INFORMATION AND
REFERRAL SERVICE
Telephone 1300 135 070
Fax 1300 135 211
Email client.services@abs.gov.au

ABS ACT REGIONAL CONTACTS:
Regional Director: Karen Vitullo (02) 6252 8914
Assistant Director: Brent Perkins (02) 6252 8911
Project and Information Manager: Gordon Knox (02) 6252 8922
ACT Census Management Unit: Alan Masters (02) 6252 8916
ACT Office Email: act.office@abs.gov.au