1338.1 - NSW State and Regional Indicators, Dec 2010  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 31/01/2011  Final
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STATISTICS NEWS NSW

1. Outcome of the 16th series Australian Consumer Price Index (CPI) review
2. Census - Beyond the Count conference update
3. Update on the Census Data Enhancement (CDE) project
4. Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) released
5. First data released from the 2009 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers
6. Water Account Australia 2008–09 released
7. Household water use and conservation
8. Focus on Arts and Culture
9. Latest update to the National Regional Profile
10. ABS provides resources to aid in the high quality production and use of statistics
11. Information Paper: Changes to Managed Funds, Australia to incorporates revised international standards
12. Changes to the Survey of Motor Vehicle Use and the Motor Vehicle Census
13. Trust in ABS statistics
14. Demystifying population and migration
15. Australian Social Trends: Fertility, population projections and household mobility
16. Work-related injury or illness down, men still at most risk
17. ABS Statistical training in NSW in 2011
18. Learn more about the ABS' operations and strategic directions


Outcome of the 16th series Australian Consumer Price Index (CPI) review

The ABS recently released the response to the first major review of the CPI in over a decade. Key outcomes from the review include:

    • Endorsement of the principal purpose of the CPI as a general measure of household inflation. The current conceptual approach to measuring the CPI will be retained.
    • The ABS acknowledges that the CPI is used for many purposes, so the current suite of living cost indexes will continue. Where there is a clearly demonstrated need, and funding provided, other complementary quarterly price indexes will be produced for particular population subgroups.
    • From the September quarter 2011, the indirectly measured component of financial services will be removed from the headline CPI until such time that methods and data sources are sufficiently robust for reintroduction to the CPI. A new analytical series, comprising the All groups CPI inclusive of indirectly measured financial services, will be published.
    • The publication Average Retail Prices of Selected Items, Eight Capital Cities (cat. no. 6403.0.55.001) will be discontinued after the June quarter 2011 issue.

Implementation of other key outcomes would involve additional costs and appropriate funding is required before they can be progressed. These include:
    • production of a high quality CPI monthly rather than quarterly, as at present, to support more timely and responsive economic management, and
    • increasing the frequency with which expenditure weights are updated, from 6 yearly to 4 yearly, to mitigate the risks arising from potential upward bias in the index.

Further decisions are detailed in the Information Paper: Outcome of the 16th series Australian Consumer Price Index (CPI) review (cat. no. 6469.0).
Census - Beyond the Count conference update

In the lead up to the 2011 Census, there will be an exciting showcase event to promote the effective and innovative use of Census data by government, community and private sector organisations. Census - beyond the count, to be held in Melbourne from 2 to 4 March 2011, will explore the issues that matter to all Australians and how Census data makes a difference.

There has been a great response to the call for speakers and the conference program is almost complete and two keynotes speakers have been announced:

Bernard Salt, demographer and trend forecaster, will be the keynote speaker on Day One. Bernard is a best-selling author of three popular books on demographic change. He is a columnist with The Australian and Melbourne Herald Sun newspapers. He is a Partner with KPMG and heads a group of researchers providing demographic advice to business. Bernard is also one of Australia's most quoted social commentators. He is a regular on many radio and television programs including Sunrise, Today Tonight, A Current Affair and many others. Bernard is a compelling and entertaining speaker, who manages to combine an astute observation of human behaviour and change with hard data. We are certain that you will enjoy his opening presentation at Census | beyond the count .

Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO of the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) will be the keynote speaker on Day Two. Cassandra has had an extensive career in the human rights and community service sector in Australia and internationally. Prior to her appointment at ACOSS, Cassandra was the Director of the Sex and Age Discrimination Unit at the Australian Human Rights Commission where she played a pivotal role in the Inquiry into the Sex Discrimination Act, Pay Equity, national homelessness legislation, reforms to corporate governance to promote women in leadership and decision making roles, and the campaign to achieve Paid Parental Leave. Cassandra has previously been the Director of the Homelessness Legal Rights Project at UNSW, a consultant to UN Habitat, Senior Executive with Legal Aid in Western Australia and Executive Officer of the Darwin Community Legal Service for five years. We're looking forward to Cassandra's thoughts on how the Census is making a difference to social issues across Australia.

For further information on registration and other details visit Census - Beyond the count.


Update on the Census Data Enhancement (CDE) project

The Census Data Enhancement (CDE) project is a major project involving integrating unit record data from the Census of Population and Housing with other ABS and non-ABS datasets to create new datasets for statistical and research purposes. The project also adds value to data from the Census of Population and Housing by bringing it together with data from future Censuses.

The CDE project delivers significant public benefits without compromising the privacy of individuals or the confidentiality of their data. The project facilitates:
    • improved information to support good government policy making, program evaluation and service delivery; and
    • an improved and expanded range of official statistics.

The Australian Statistician announced his intention to proceed with a CDE project in August 2005 after extensive discussion and consultation. The project was first undertaken for the 2006 Census and the ABS intends to continue the project for the 2011 Census. The paper Census Data Enhancement Project: An Update, June 2010 (cat. no. 2062.0) provides an update on the outcomes of the 2006 CDE project and presents plans for the continuation of the project for the 2011 Census.
Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) released

On December 23, 2010 Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS): Volume 1 - Main Structure and Greater Capital City Statistical Areas, July 2011 (cat. no. 1270.0.55.001) was released. The ASGS brings all the regions used by the ABS to output data under the one umbrella. The regions are divided into two broad categories:
    • ABS structures, those regions which are defined and maintained by the ABS
    • Non-ABS structures, those regions defined and maintained by other organisations, but for which the ABS supplies data.

    The ABS structures are a hierarchy of regions developed for the release of particular ABS statistics.
    • Mesh Blocks are the smallest area geographical region. They broadly identify land use such as: residential, commercial, agriculture and parks etc. Mesh Blocks are the building block for all the larger regions of the ASGS. Only limited Census data, total population and dwelling counts will be released at the mesh block level.
    • Statistical Areas Level 1 (SA1s) will be the smallest region for which a wide range of Census data will be released. They will be built from whole Mesh Blocks and there will be approximately 55,000 covering the whole of Australia.
    • Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2s) will have an average population of about 10,000, with a minimum population of 3,000 and a maximum of 25,000. The SA2s are the regions for which the majority of ABS sub-state intercensal data, for example Estimated Resident Population and Health and Vital Statistics, will be released. There will be about 2,200 SA2s, built from whole SA1s.
    • Statistical Areas Level 3 (SA3s) are a medium sized region with a population of 30,000 to 130,000. They represent the functional areas of regional cities and large urban transport and service hubs. They will be built from whole SA2s.
    • Statistical Areas Level 4 (SA4s) will be used for the release of Labour Force Statistics. They will in turn be built from whole SA3s.
    • Capital Cities and Significant Urban Areas define the major cities and towns of Australia with a population over 10,000. They will contain the urban area itself and any likely growth in the next 15 years, plus any immediately associated semi-rural development. Significant Urban Areas will be released after the 2011 Census as they require an analysis of Census data to be developed.
    • Urban Centres/Localities, Section of State and Remoteness Areas will be broadly comparable to previous Censuses. Urban Centres and Localities, Section of State and Remoteness Areas will be released after the 2011 Census as they require an analysis of Census data to be developed.
Non-ABS structures will be approximated or built directly from Mesh Blocks or SA1s. The Non-ABS structures include such important regions as: Local Government Areas (LGAs), postal areas, state gazetted suburbs and electoral divisions. LGAs remain part of the ASGS and the ABS will continue to support LGAs with the data it currently provides. The non-ABS structures will be released at the time of the 2011 Census; this is to ensure that the Census is released on the most up to date boundaries available.

The ASGS will replace the Australian Standard Geographic Classification (ASGC) progressively from July 2011 onwards. The ABS anticipates that all its spatial data will be based on the ASGS by 2013. Data based on ASGC Statistical Local Areas will still be available for the 2011 Census however, for 2012 and beyond the ASGC will no longer be published.

For more information see Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS):Volume 1 - Main Structure and Greater Capital City Statistical Areas, July 2011 (cat. no. 1270.0.55.001) or the Geography Portal on the ABS Website.
First data released from the 2009 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers

The first results from the 2009 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) were released in December. The primary objective of the survey was to collect information about three population groups: people with a disability; older people (i.e. those aged 60 years and over); and people who provide assistance to older people and people with disabilities. The 2009 SDAC was largely a repeat of the 2003 survey, with some additions to content in the areas of unmet demand for assistance, social inclusion, and labour force participation.

The results showed that four million Australians (18.5%) had a disability in 2009, and that the prevalence of disability was slightly lower than in 2003 (20%). The proportion of Australians disabled because of physical health conditions such as asthma and back problems declined. In 2003, 6.8% of Australians were disabled because of musculoskeletal disorders like arthritis and back problems, while only 6.5% reported such a disability in 2009. Asthma-related disability also declined, from 0.8% in 2003 to 0.5% in 2009. In particular, the proportion of children (aged 0 to 17 years) disabled by asthma almost halved since 2003, from 0.9% to 0.5%.

All tables appearing in the publication are included in a Data Cube (spreadsheet format) and are accompanied by corresponding Relative Standard Error tables. A series of staggered releases in the form of Data Cubes will be appended to the product between January and April 2011. A summary publication, which will be a consolidation of the progressive releases, will be released on 28 April 2011. For further information see Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings, 2009 (cat. no. 4430.0).Water Account Australia 2008–09 released

Water prices have risen, but Australia is using less water according to the 4th Edition of the Water Account, Australia, 2008-09 (cat. no. 4610.0) recently released by the ABS. The publication presents information on the supply and use of water in the Australian economy in 2008-09 in both physical (i.e. ML) and monetary terms. The previous release of these data were for the 2004-05 reference year and numerous comparisons between 2004-05 and 2008-09 are made within the publication. The Water Account Australia uses the System of Integrated Environmental and Economic Accounting for Water (SEEA-Water; UN 2006) as the underlying conceptual framework. The SEEA-Water was adopted as an interim international statistical standard in 2007 and represents a specific branch of environmental-economic accounting that evolved from the SEEA (UN 2003a).

The Water Account shows that for NSW:
    • Household consumption of water was 536 GL in 2008-09, or 12% of total water consumption and a decrease of 6% since 2004-05 (573 GL).
    • Household water use per capita was 75 kL, the equal third lowest of all States and Territories, and a decrease from 84 kL per capita in 2004-05.
    • Households recorded the fourth highest average water price paying on average $1.96 per kL in 2008-09. This is above the Australian average of $1.93 per kL.

Household water use and conservation

The ABS has released the latest survey results about water usage and the water conservation practices of Australian households. The publication covers a range of topics including household water sources, water usage, and water saving practices inside and outside the dwelling. The survey showed that of Sydney households living in dwellings which were suitable for having a rainwater tank installed, 16.3% had a rainwater tank in 2010, up from 10% in 2007. Rainwater tank installation for suitable dwellings was higher among households in the Balance of NSW (33% in 2010). Further information can be found in Environmental Issues: Water use and Conservation, March 2010 (cat. no. 4602.0.55.003).
Focus on Arts and Culture

The 2010 release of Arts and Culture in Australia: A Statistical Overview (cat. no. 4172.0) updates a range of data on topics such as funding by government and business, employment and voluntary work and cultural trade. Wherever possible, data are presented to align with the Australian Culture and Leisure Classifications, 2008 (Second Edition) (ACLC) (cat. no. 4902.0). These classifications were developed by the ABS in order to promote a more unified body of statistical information about culture and leisure.

The release also includes four feature articles on aspects of participation in artistic and cultural activities:
Latest update to the National Regional Profile

The National Regional Profiles now uses a Google Maps based interface to make it easier to find information on Local Government Areas and other types of regions across Australia. The latest release also incorporates new datasets, such as tourist accommodation and additional government payments to add to the existing economic and social data on topics such as income, age, occupations, building and agriculture.

Some NSW highlights from the profiles include:
    • The Local Government Area (LGA) of Waverley in New South Wales had the largest increase in the average value of private sector houses, up 137% from $445,600 to $1,054,200, from 2004-05 to 2008-09. Mosman had the highest average value of $1,373,700 in 2008-09.
    • The LGA of Palerang had the fastest average annual growth rate of population from 2004-05 to 2008-09 of 3.8%, reaching a population of 14,323 in 2008-09.
    • The LGAs of Bellingen and Kempsey had the oldest vehicles with 59% of vehicles over ten years old in 2008-09. These areas were followed closely by Nambucca and Kyogle, both at 58%.

ABS provides resources to aid in the high quality production and use of statistics

There is an increasing emphasis from Australian and international governments on the importance of evidence based decision making in guiding policy processes and the ABS has an important role in helping people and agencies manage data to produce quality information for informed decision-making. The publication A guide for using statistics for evidence based policy, 2010 (cat. no. 1500.0) provides an overview of how statistical information can be used to make well informed policy decisions. Throughout the guide references are made to other resources, relevant training courses and associated frameworks that provide more detail.

A related resource is the information paper Quality Management of Statistical Processes Using Quality Gates (cat. no. 1540.0) which defines Quality Gates and provides an explanation of each of the six components of Quality Gates. This is followed by a discussion of the benefits and lessons from the use of Quality Gates and a demonstration of how they are used by the ABS. In March 2011, the ABS will release a further information paper Quality Management of Statistical Outputs Produced From Administrative Data (cat. no. 1522.0) which describes the management of statistical outputs sourced from administrative data, provides a discussion of the basic principles for the management of quality when using administrative data and will cover risk management strategies such as Quality Gates.
Information Paper: Changes to Managed Funds, Australia to incorporate revised international standards

The ABS compiles a range of financial statistics from surveys conducted by the ABS and from information obtained from regulatory sources. The statistics are important inputs to Australia's national accounts, particularly the financial accounts. The ABS introduced revised international standards for the national accounts in late 2009. The revised international standards were implemented into the Survey of Financial Information (SFI) in 2009 and are now being reflected in the associated publication Managed Funds, Australia (cat. no. 5655.0). This information paper:
    • describes the main changes to the international standards;
    • describes the impact on the presentation of statistics in Managed Funds, Australia;
    • presents the revised formatted publication (pdf) tables and related spreadsheets; and
    • provides a concordance between the current and revised time series identifiers.

The tables presented specify the finest level of detail that can be published, however there may be some aggregation or suppression of the detail in each issue following the application of confidentiality measures. For more information see Information Paper: Changes to Managed Funds, Australia to incorporates revised international standards, 2010 (cat. no. 5655.0.55.002).
Changes to the Survey of Motor Vehicle Use and the Motor Vehicle Census

The ABS recently announced changes to the Survey of Motor Vehicle Use (cat. no. 9208.0). From 31 October 2000 the survey has been conducted annually covering the twelve months ended 31 October, with the last complete survey conducted for the period 12 months ended 31 October 2007. Processing of the Survey of Motor Vehicle Use was discontinued in January 2008 due to budgetary constraints. The survey was recommenced to cover the November 2009 - October 2010 period.

The survey will now be conducted biennially (every two years). In order to improve relevance to users, the time period covered by the survey will be changed from 12 months ending 31 October and will now cover the 12 month period ending 30 June, aligning the period to a financial year. The current survey (with outputs to be released in August 2011) will be the last collection using the existing 12 month time period ending 31 October. The next survey will adopt the new time frame and will commence in July 2011.

The sample used for the Survey of Motor Vehicle Use is taken from the Motor Vehicle Census (cat. no. 9309.0). With the change of reference period for the Survey of Motor Vehicle Use the date for the Motor Vehicle Census will also change; from 31 March to 31 January. The next census date will be brought forward to 31 January 2011 and the output for this census date will be released in September 2011.

Further information can be found in Information Paper: Changes to the Survey of Motor Vehicle Use, 12 months ended 31 Oct 2010 (cat. no. 9208.0.55.006) and Information Paper: Changes to the Motor Vehicle Census date, 31 Mar 2010 (cat. no. 9309.0.55.002).
Trust in ABS statistics

The majority of Australians trust the Australian Bureau of Statistics, a report released on World Statistics Day found. In an effort to provide national and international benchmarks on trust in official statistics, the ABS commissioned a survey to measure the public's trust in the ABS and its statistics. More than nine in ten (92%1) of those surveyed were found to trust or greatly trust the ABS.

“The survey’s results are extremely pleasing” said Mr Brian Pink, the Australian Statistician. “The report shows that the majority of Australians believe the ABS to be a valid and reliable organisation and that the community understand the importance in what the ABS does for Australia.” Mr Pink said. The survey, which was conducted in May and June this year, not only measured Australia’s trust in the ABS, but knowledge in what the ABS does and how the ABS compares to other organisations. 2,379 members of the general public and 137 academics, members of the media and economists around Australia participated in the survey. Results found that participants surveyed were most familiar with Census of Population and Housing. The release of the Community Trust in ABS Statistics Survey coincided with the first World Statistics Day, a day which celebrates the service provided by national and international statistical organisations, and hopes to help strengthen the awareness and trust of the public in official statistics. Full details can be found at Community Trust in ABS Statistics Survey.

Note:
(1) This survey was undertaken by an independent consultant using a quota based household sampling methodology. The response rate was 26% and is much lower than the usual level of response that is experienced in surveys conducted by the ABS. The response of this survey is comparable to similar market research studies conducted by commercial survey organisations that are undertaken on a voluntary basis. Given the low response rates, and potential for non-response bias users are advised to interpret the findings with caution.
Demystifying population and migration

The Productivity Commission has released a Research Paper - Population and Migration: Understanding the Numbers - to help demystify population statistics and clarify areas of confusion evident in the recent debate about immigration. Commission chairman, Gary Banks, observed: 'In the recent debate about Australia's population growth many numbers have been cited, drawing on various demographic concepts, but these often seem contradictory or based on only part of the story.'

The paper highlights that net migration to Australia has grown strongly in recent years and is now the major contributor to Australia's population growth. The fastest growing component has been temporary migration, which has also made a material contribution to Australia's long-term population growth. The Commission notes that future population levels are sensitive to even minor variations in fertility, mortality and migration flow and cannot be predicted with accuracy. While demographic projections based on different scenarios are helpful for analysis, they should not be regarded as forecasts of what will eventuate.

The Commission's report outlines some of the possible economic and social effects of immigration and population growth. These effects are diverse, depending on the source and composition of growth, and the context in which it occurs. Some of the key points from the report are:

    • Since the 1980s, net overseas migration has overtaken natural increase as the major contributor to Australia's population growth.
    • Although the total fertility rate in Australia has risen recently, it is still only half what it was in the early 1960s.
    • Over the past century, life expectancy has increased significantly. This has mitigated the decline in natural increase and been the main contributor to the ageing of Australia's population.
    • Migration flows are shaped by the economic and social motivations of migrants and by government policy in Australia.
        • Only the permanent migrant intake is controlled directly by the government, but migration is also influenced indirectly through other policy settings and conditions.
    • Net overseas migration has grown strongly during the past ten years, with most of the growth being in the 'temporary' categories.
        • Temporary migration contributes to Australia's population growth in the long term as well as short term. In the last five years, many overseas students and skilled temporary migrant workers obtained permanent residency onshore.
    • The Humanitarian Program is a small component of the total migrant intake. Refugee visas granted to unauthorised arrivals do not increase its size.
    • Australia's population is highly urbanised. In recent years, population growth in capital cities has exceeded growth in most other parts of the country.
    • Future population levels are sensitive to even minor variations in the components of population change and cannot be predicted with accuracy.
    • The economic effects of immigration and population growth are diverse, depending on source, composition and context.

Australian Social Trends: Fertility, population projections and household mobility
    • One for the country: recent trends in fertility - There were more babies born to Australian women in the last half decade than in any other five year period. Since dipping to an all time low in 2001 (at 1.73 babies per woman) Australia's total fertility rate has risen over the past decade, to 1.96 babies per woman in 2008 and 1.90 babies per woman in 2009. Age specific fertility rates were highest among women aged 30-34 years with 124 babies per 1,000 women, up from 108 in 1999. Women in regional and rural areas experienced the highest total fertility rates. The Statistical Divisions of Australia with the highest total fertility rates were South West and North West Queensland (2.85 and 2.79 babies per woman respectively).
    • Australian households: the future - Australia's ageing population may mean that there will be more older couple only and lone person households in the future. It is projected that couples with children at home, currently Australia's most common family type (2.6 million in 2006 and 3.1 million projected in 2031), will be overtaken by couples without children at home over the next couple of decades. Couples without children at home, mostly older 'empty nesters', are projected to be the fastest growing family type, with a projected increase of 1.4 million (to 3.5 million) between 2006 and 2031. Lone person households, many being older widowed women, are projected to grow by 1.3 million (to 3.2 million) over the same period.
    • Moving house - Almost half (45%) of parents in couple families with dependent children had moved in the five years to 2007–08. People living in young households without children were very mobile, with the vast majority having moved in the last five years (90%). Many of these younger people had moved because they had purchased a home (25%), or moved in with their partner (20%), or for employment reasons (15%).

More details on these topics are available in the December edition of Australian Social Trends, 2010 (cat. no. 4102.0).
Work-related injury or illness down, men still at most risk

The number of people experiencing a work-related injury or illness has declined, according to figures released in Work-Related Injuries, Australia, 2009-10 (cat. no. 6324.0). In 2009-10, about 640,700 people (5.3% of the 12 million people employed at some time in the last 12 months) experienced a work-related injury or illness, compared with 690,000 (6.4%) in 2005-06. Overall, of the people who worked at some time in the last 12 months, men were still more likely to experience a work-related injury or illness at 55 per 1,000 men (down from 74 per 1,000 in 2005-06) than women at 51 per 1,000 women (same rate as in 2005-06). More than half of people who experienced a work-related injury or illness were men (56%).

The highest rates of work-related injury or illness were experienced in the 45-49 year age group (74 per 1,000 men and 70 per 1,000 women). However, the decrease in the rates of incidence of work-related injuries were highest for young men. The most commonly reported injuries or illnesses were sprains and strains (30%), followed by chronic joint or muscle conditions (18%), and cuts or open wounds (16%). Around half of the most recent work-related injury or illness were sustained mostly by lifting, pushing or pulling objects (27%) or by hitting or being hit or cut by an object (25%). Around 30% of persons who worked at some time in the last 12 months had not received formal training in occupational health and safety risks in the workplace.
ABS Statistical training in NSW in 2011

The ABS NSW office will be hosting the following training courses in early 2011:
  • Turning Data Into Information, 16-17 February and 22-23 June- This course develops skills in interpreting and analysing data and communicating information clearly and effectively. Analytical thinking skills are developed to enable the transformation of data into meaningful information such as written reports. A key theme of this course is analytical thinking to ensure relevant messages are extracted from data to meet set objectives.
  • Making Quality Informed Decisions, 3 March - This course is intended to assist people to effectively use a quality framework to systematically understand quality issues associated with using data sources. It will also equip participants with the necessary skills to apply that understanding when making a decision (eg, on policy), and is designed to take participants through the key fundamentals of data quality assessment. There is also a strong emphasis on the importance of using good quality data to promote informed decision-making.
  • Analysing Survey Data Made Simple, 16-17 March - This two day, computer-based course develops basic practical skills in statistical and graphical data analysis techniques using Microsoft Excel.
  • ABS Website Made Simple, 23 March - This computer-based course will provide you with and an overview of the ABS, what data is available on the ABS website and some of the concepts used by the ABS.

In addition to standard training courses, ABS can develop tailored training courses on demand for groups of interested participants, either at our Training Rooms or on-site.

Further information about our courses and schedule can be found on our website under ABS Training.

To book into an upcoming training course or to enquire about customising a statistical training course for your organisation contact our External Training Coordinator on (02) 9268 4327 or email nsw.statistics@abs.gov.au.
Learn more about the ABS' operations and strategic directions

The 2009-10 ABS Annual Report was released in October 2010 and reports on the ABS operations throughout the year. The report key issues for the ABS during 2009-10 such as funding outcomes, investments in technology, issues of long term sustainability related to management and staff capability; supporting the measurement of Council of Australian Government activities, the introduction of the Pensioner and Beneficiary Cost of Living Index and the development of the Australian Health Survey.

The ABS Forward Work Program (FWP) is produced annually provides background information about statistical and non-statistical programs across the ABS, their objectives and the outputs they produce. It includes details of past and current resource usage, and details developments in the work program for each of the statistical and non-statistical programs over the next four years. The FWP covers all programs in the ABS, across Central Office (Canberra) and all eight state and territory regional offices. Further details can be found in Forward Work Program, 2010-11 to 2013-14.

The role of the Australian Statistics Advisory Council is to provide guidance to the Minister and the Australian Statistician on the directions and priorities of official statistics. This includes the improvement, extension and coordination of statistical services provided for public purposes in Australia. The Council met in November 2009 and May 2010 with discussions covering a broad range of topics including: the National Statistical Service; data integration; the ABS work program and resources including international collaboration with other National Statistical Offices; the Australian Health Survey; and preparation for the 2011 Census. Further information can be found in the Australian Statistics Advisory Council Annual Report 2009-10.