4102.0 - Australian Social Trends, 2003  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 03/06/2003   
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Contents >> Housing >> Data sources and definitions

Data sources and definitions


Data source Indicators using this source

ABS Australian Housing Survey 1999.National (9-10); State (7-10)
ABS Building Activity Survey September Quarter 2002.State (2-3)
ABS Consumer Price Index Australia.National (19); State (19)
ABS Housing Finance for Owner Occupation Australia.National (26, 28); State (20, 25, 27-28)
ABS 1992 Family Survey; 1994 and 1999 Australian Housing Survey; and Surveys of Income and Housing Costs.National (4-8, 11-14, 17-18); State (4-6, 11-14, 17-18)
ABS Surveys of Income and Housing Costs.National (15-16); State ( 15-16)
Australian Demographic Statistics, September Quarter 2002 (ABS cat. no. 3101.0).National (1); State (1)
Building Activity, Australia, September Quarter 2002 (ABS cat. no. 8752.0).National (2-3)
Department of Family and Community Services administrative data.National (33-35); State (32-34)
House Price Indexes: Eight Capital Cities, September Quarter 2002 (ABS cat. no. 6416.0).National (22-23); State (21-22)
Housing Finance for Owner Occupation, Australia, July 2002 (ABS cat. no. 5609.0).National (21, 25, 27, 29); State (24, 26)
Producer Price Indexes, Australia, December 2002 (ABS cat. no. 6427.0).National (24); State (23)
Reserve Bank of Australia, Indicator Lending Rates - F5, <www.rba.gov.au/Statistics/Bulletin/F05hist.xls>, accessed 18 March 2003.National (20)
Steering Committee for the Review of Commonwealth/State Service Provision, Report on Government Services 2003 <www.pc.gov.au/gsp/2003/attachment16.pdf>, accessed 20 February 2003.National (30-32); State (29-31)


Affordability problems
    proportion of households in the bottom 40% of the income distribution with housing costs above 30% of their disposable income. The income distribution ranks households into equivalised income groups to take account of the different size and composition of households and thus their different income needs. Housing costs - including rent, mortgage and rate payments - are calculated as a proportion of the household's unequivalised disposable income. For more information, see Measuring Australia's Progress (ABS. cat. no. 1370.0).
Alterations and additions
    all approved structural and non-structural changes which are integral to the functional and structural design of the dwelling, e.g. garages, carports, pergolas, reroofing, recladding etc., but excluding swimming pools, ongoing repairs, landscaping, and maintenance and home improvements not involving building work.
    Reference: Housing Finance for Owner Occupation, Australia (ABS cat. no. 5609.0).
Applicants accommodated
    the number of public rental applicants (households) accommodated in a year.
    Reference: Department of Family and Community Services, Housing Assistance Act 1996 Annual Report. For data after 1998 Steering Committee for the Review of Commonwealth/State Service Provision (SCRCSSP) 2003, Report on Government Services 2003, Ausinfo, Canberra.
Applicants on housing waiting lists
    the number of applicants (households) waiting for public rental accommodation on 30 June.
    Reference: Department of Family and Community Services, Housing Assistance Act 1996 Annual Report. For data after 1998, SCRCSSP.
Average number of bedrooms per dwelling
    the average number of bedrooms in occupied private dwellings.
    Reference: Income and Housing Surveys; 1991 Census of Population and Housing; 1999 Australian Housing Survey; and Surveys of Income and Housing Costs.
Average number of persons per household
    the average number of usual residents in occupied private dwellings.
Canadian National Occupancy Standard
    measures the bedroom requirements of a household by specifying that: there should be no more than 2 people per bedroom; children less than 5 years of age of different sexes may reasonably share a bedroom; children 5 years and over of opposite sex should not share a bedroom; children less than 18 years of age and of the same sex may reasonably share a bedroom; and household members 18 years and over should have a separate bedroom, as should parents or couples.
    Reference: Australian Housing Survey - Housing Characteristics, Costs and Conditions (ABS cat. no. 4182.0).
Established house price index
    the price of detached residential dwellings on their own block of land, regardless of age (i.e. including new houses sold as a house/land package as well as established houses) expressed as an index, with base year 1989-90=100.0. Price changes therefore relate to changes in the total price of dwelling and land.
    Reference: House Price Indexes: Eight Capital Cities (ABS cat. no. 6416.0).
Finance commitments
    firm offers to provide finance for owner-occupation or alterations and additions which have been, or are normally expected to be, accepted. Commitments to provide housing finance to employees and commitments accepted and cancelled in the same month are included. Owner-occupied dwellings being purchased can be either established (completed for more than 12 months or previously occupied) or new (completed for less than 12 months with the borrower being the first occupant).
    Reference: Housing Finance for Owner Occupation, Australia (ABS cat. no. 5609.0).
First home buyers: average loan size
    first home buyers are persons entering the home ownership market for the first time. Their average loan is calculated by dividing the total value of lending commitments per month by the total number of dwellings financed per month.
    Reference: Housing Finance for Owner Occupation, Australia (ABS cat. no. 5609.0).
Flat
    includes all self-contained dwellings in blocks of flats, units or apartments. These dwellings do not have their own private grounds and usually share a common entrance foyer or stairwell. This category includes houses converted into flats and flats attached to houses such as granny flats. A house with a granny flat attached is regarded as a separate house.
    Reference: Australian Housing Survey - Housing Characteristics, Costs and Conditions (ABS cat. no. 4182.0).
Household
    a person living alone or a group of related or unrelated people who usually reside and eat together.
    Reference: Australian Housing Survey - Housing Characteristics, Costs and Conditions (ABS cat. no. 4182.0).
Households with insufficient bedrooms
    households living in dwellings that do not have enough bedrooms to meet the requirements of community standards. See Canadian National Occupancy Standard.
    Reference: Australian Housing Survey - Housing Characteristics, Costs and Conditions (ABS cat. no. 4182.0).
Households with two or more bedrooms above requirements
    households which have at least two bedrooms above that required by the Canadian National Occupancy Standard.
    Reference: Australian Housing Survey - Housing Characteristics, Costs and Conditions (ABS cat. no. 4182.0).
Housing interest rate
    the financial year annual average of the interest rate applicable on the last working day of each month to standard variable rate loans for owner-occupation extended by large bank housing lenders. It is the predominant or representative rate of major banks, although some banks may quote higher or lower rates.
    Reference: Reserve Bank of Australia, Bulletin.
Materials used in house building price index
    prices of selected materials used in the construction of dwellings expressed as an index, with base year 1989-90=100.0. Data for national total are a weighted average of the six state capital cities.
    Reference: Price Index of Materials Used in House Building, Six State Capital Cities (ABS cat. no. 6408.0).
Mean rental assistance received
    average rental assistance received fortnightly by eligible social security customers who pay rent in the private rental market.
    Reference: Department of Family and Community Services.
Mean rent paid by rental assistance recipients
    the average rent paid fortnightly by social security customers who receive rental assistance.
    Reference: Department of Family and Community Services.
Mean weekly public/private rent
    the average weekly rent paid by renters of public/private dwellings.
Occupied private dwellings
    the premises occupied by a household. For population estimation purposes, the total number of occupied private dwellings is treated as being equal to the total number of households of the usually resident population.
    Reference: Australian Demographic Statistics (ABS cat. no. 3101.0).
Owner with a mortgage
    a household where the reference person or partner owes an amount on a mortgage or loan secured against the dwelling. Includes persons who have an outstanding mortgage amount but who are not making any payments. Prior to 1995 known as 'being purchased', and excluded dwellings with mortgages for alteration/addition or other purposes.
    Reference: Housing Occupancy and Costs, Australia (ABS cat. no. 4130.0).
Owner without a mortgage
    a household where the reference person or partner does not owe any amount on a mortgage or loan secured against the dwelling. Includes persons who have repaid a mortgage or loan but have not formally discharged the associated mortgage. Prior to 1995 known as 'owned', and included dwellings whose only mortgage was for alteration/addition or other purposes.
    Reference: Housing Occupancy and Costs, Australia (ABS cat. no. 4130.0).
Persons receiving private rental assistance
    persons on low incomes who pay rent or similar payments for private accommodation and receive a rental assistance payment from the government. Rental assistance may be payable to pensioners without children, families receiving above the minimum family payment and people already receiving a government allowance or benefit.
    Reference: Survey data from Centrelink.
Private/public sector dwellings completed
    when building activity has progressed to the stage where the building can fulfil its intended function. The ABS regards buildings as completed when notified as such by the respondents (builders) to the survey.
    Reference: Building Activity, Australia (ABS cat. no. 8752.0).
Project home price index
    the price of dwellings available for construction on a client's block of land expressed as an index, with base year 1989-90=100.0. Price changes therefore relate only to the price of the dwelling (excluding land).
    Reference: House Price Indexes: Eight Capital Cities (ABS cat. no. 6416.0).
Public sector rental dwelling stock
    those rental dwellings held by State and Territory Housing Authorities.
    Reference: Department of Family and Community Services, Housing Assistance Act 1996 Annual Report.
Rental cost index
    the average rent paid by private households for privately and government owned rental properties, expressed as an index, with base year 1989-90=100.0.
    Reference: Consumer Price Index, Australia (ABS cat. no. 6401.0).





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