1301.6.55.001 - Tasmanian Statistical News, Sep 2007  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 14/09/2007   
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Available Now: Census Community Profile Series
Adult Education Program
Statistics Guide Our Future Health
New Tasmania Together Benchmarks Information System
Tasmanian Freight Statistics
ABS Reviewing Statistical Geography Classification
Gross State Product Using The Production Approach GSP(P)
CUPS News Alert
Australian Social Trends, 2007
General Statistical Enquiries
FAQ: What Is The House Price Index?
Selected Recent Releases
Future Statistical Releases


Subscribe To This Newsletter

If you wish to provide feedback or subscribe to this newsletter please contact Sasha Horsell on (03) 6222 5965 or email tasmania.statistics@abs.gov.au. We also encourage you to place this newsletter on your organisation's intranet.



AVAILABLE NOW: Census Community Profile Series

Profiling Your Community
The Census Community Profile Series provides you with comprehensive statistical pictures of a selected area. The series allows you to investigate a diverse range of information from the 2006 Census, covering most topics on the Census form. The profiles provide information on key Census characteristics relating to persons, families and dwellings. There are six separate profiles in the series:

Basic Community Profile
Place of Enumeration Profile
Indigenous Profile
Time Series Profile
Expanded Community Profile
Working Population Profile

Who would benefit from using the Community Profile Series?
The Community Profile Series product is aimed at all users who are interested in demographic information for a particular geographic area.

Which Geographic Areas are Community Profiles available for?
The Community Profile Series is available for both large and small areas. Some specific geography levels are only available for certain profiles. To take a look at the product briefs on the ABS website, click on 'New Products Briefs' in the left-hand column of the Census page, found at https://www.abs.gov.au/census.

What format are Community Profiles in?
Community Profiles are downloadable for free from the ABS website https://www.abs.gov.au/census in Excel spreadsheet format. They are also available through the ABS Information Consultancy Service in Comma Separated Variable (CSV) and XML formats. Please note that a charge may apply for data obtained via Information Consultancy.

Community Profile release dates


Basic Community Profile

First Release

August 2007


Second Release

October 2007




Indigenous Profile

First Release

August 2007


Second Release

October 2007




Place of Enumeration Profile

First Release

September 2007


Second Release

November 2007




Expanded Community Profiles

First Release

September 2007


Second Release

November 2007




Time Series Profile

First Release

August 2007


Second Release

November 2007




Working Population Profile

expected to be released December 2007



For more information on Community Profiles and other Census products
Website:https://www.abs.gov.au/census
Phone: 1300 135 070
Email: client.services@abs.gov.au


Adult Education Program

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in conjunction with the Adult Education Program are holding several ‘hands on’ information sessions around the state. These sessions will run for approximately 2.5 hours and cover accessing the ABS website, with a focus on Census data.

Time and Place



North

'Get the Facts- Accessing ABS data'


Wednesday 14 November


2.30pm


51 York Street, Launceston



North West

'What is the Statistical Make-up of YOUR Community?'


Thursday 15 November


9.30am


Portside 2 Spring Street, Burnie




Thursday 15 November


2.00pm


119 William Street, Devonport



South

'Get the Facts- Accessing ABS data'


Tuesday 13 November


6.00pm


South Hobart AE Centre,


12 Weld Street, South Hobart




Monday 19 November


9.30am


South Hobart AE Centre,


12 Weld Street, South Hobart



Cost:

$11.00 for all sessions

How to enrol and for more information
Please contact the Adult Ed program to enrol for the above sessions.

Website: http://www.adulteducation.tas.gov.au

Phone:

Launceston

6336 2802


Burnie

6434 6282


Devonport

6421 7600


Hobart

6233 7237

Group sessions
If your organisation or agency has a group of individuals interested in sessions about accessing the ABS website, Census data and other products please contact Terri Fox on (03) 6222 5835 or email tasmania.statistics@abs.gov.au.


Statistics Guide Our Future Health

Good data is the foundation of good policy. Increasingly, agencies are seeking quality statistics to inform decision-making. In today's whole-of-government policy environment, data is often located in several different agencies. In this context, collaboration between agencies is vital to ensure efficient access to, and use of, information.

Data sharing between agencies was fundamental to the development of the Primary Health Services Plan, part of Tasmania's Future Health Plan released earlier this year by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). 'Future Health' is a comprehensive and strategic response to the significant challenges facing Tasmania's health system. These challenges include an ageing population, increases in the prevalence of chronic disease, the rising costs of health care, and a declining workforce.

The Primary Health Services Plan outlines recommendations for the future delivery of primary health services in Tasmania. The Plan was developed following extensive stakeholder consultation, and data analysis led by a Data Working Group. This Working Group, made up of staff from DHHS, the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) and the ABS, gathered data during late 2006 and early 2007 to develop statistical health profiles for all 29 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Tasmania. These profiles contain data identifying the current and predicted demand for, and supply and use of, health services in each LGA. For example: DHHS data on disease notification rates and ABS projections on the future ageing of the population helped illustrate future demand for services, while information on the number and type of health services delivered by DHHS and DoHA helped demonstrate service availability.

The profiles served as vital input in developing recommendations for the delivery of sustainable primary health services in the State. They will be maintained by DHHS and used in other planning processes. They will also serve as useful input to profiles being developed by the Information Exchange Working Group of the Tripartite Agreement for Population Ageing, to assist in planning for better delivery of aged care services in the State in coming years. The ABS will soon begin work on a project scoping the development of a broader set of profiles relevant to policy-making and planning across all Tasmanian government agencies. This reflects one of the key aims of the National Statistical Service (NSS), which is to encourage data re-use among agencies.

Information on Tasmania's Future Health Plan, including the Primary Health Services Plan, is located at: http://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/futurehealth/index.php. The Local Services Profiles are available at http://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/futurehealth/lga_profiles.php.


New Tasmania Together Benchmarks Information System

ABS officer Chris Carswell is currently seconded to the Tasmania Together Progress Board to manage the development of an online benchmarks information system. The project involves the development and implementation of data management tools and web reporting processes. These will provide more efficient data collection, management and reporting processes, and allow for more accessible and timely progress reports on Tasmania Together goals. It is also envisaged that the new system will generate greater community engagement with Tasmania Together. The ABS is pleased to be able to contribute its expertise in statistical information standards to this project.

For more information about the project, please contact Chris Carswell on (03) 6233 5950. For more information about Tasmania Together, see http://www.tasmaniatogether.tas.gov.au.


Tasmanian Freight Statistics

The Tasmanian Ports Corporation recently sponsored a statistics project as part of the development of a new integrated business reporting system. ABS officer Chris Carswell was posted to Tasports to investigate the feasibility of recording and reporting interstate trade data.

Initial work focussed on the commodity classification developed by Tasports and the quality of freight data supplied to Tasports by the shipping lines using Tasmanian ports facilities. Early work showed that - with the exception of bulk shipments - the level of detail supplied on shipping manifests was insufficient to produce useable interstate trade data. In response, a new Tasmania Trade data framework, recommendations and workplans were developed to improve data availability.

The project was a joint initiative of Tasports, Department of Treasury and Finance, Department of Infrastructure Energy and Resources and Department of Economic Development. The framework, recommendations and workplans are included in the final report from the project. For an electronic copy of the final report, please email tasmania.statistics@abs.gov.au. If you have any queries arising from the report, please call Chris Carswell on (03) 6233 5950.


ABS Reviewing Statistical Geography Classification

The Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) is currently under review. The aim of the review is to create a new Australian statistical geography that better meets the contemporary needs of users and addresses some of the shortcomings of the current ASGC. A panel of ABS and non-ABS experts have developed a proposal that brings together all the geographical boundaries used by the ABS. The most significant changes between it and the current ASGC are:
  • Existing structures have been simplified and now all the geographic areas are built up from mesh blocks.
  • A hierarchy of new statistical units will be developed based on the identification of "functional areas". These units are expected to be more stable than the existing ASGC structures.
  • Existing units such as Census Collection Districts and Statistical Local Areas will no longer exist.
  • Mesh block based concordances to commonly used geographies such as local government areas, suburbs, electorates and postcodes will be published annually. The Australian Statistical Geography publication itself will only be updated in Census years.

The proposal is detailed in an information paper: Review of the Australian Standard Geographic Classification (cat. no. 1216.0.55.001) and is available free from the ABS website. Comments are invited on the paper and can be submitted before Friday 5 October 2007 by emailing geography@abs.gov.au with the words "ASGC Review Submission" in the subject.


Gross State Product Using The Production Approach GSP(P)

An information paper: Gross State Product Using the Production Approach GSP(P) (cat.no. 5220.0.55.002) was released 14 September, 2007. It provides results of an ABS project to develop volume estimates of Gross State Product using the production approach, GSP(P). The GSP(P) results for each state are presented, followed by a discussion on Gross Value Added (GVA) by industry. It is planned to incorporate the new measures in Australian National Accounts: State Accounts, 2006-07 (cat.no.5220.0) to be released on 16 November 2007.


Image link to CUPS home page Image: CUPS The community that counts




CUPS News Alert


As reported in the last edition of Tasmanian Statistical News, ABS in Tasmania launched Community of Users and Producers of Statistics (CUPS) on the 8th of June, by presenting a seminar about strategies for the online communication of data. The seminar by Dr Siu-Ming Tam was well-attended by people from all levels of government, the University, community organisations and local councils. Feedback received was very positive and a number of participants have since been included on the CUPS distribution list.

Professor Natalie Jackson from the University of Tasmania will present the second CUPS seminar in November and details of this seminar will be widely promoted closer to the time.

ABS in Tasmania is putting together content for the Tasmania CUPS web page. The web page will include forthcoming events such as seminar details and ABS training courses, as well as links to other relevant ABS web pages, including the Tasmania Services We Provide for Government page. The Tasmania CUPS page will be linked from the national CUPS web page, available at http://www.nss.gov.au.

If you would like more information on CUPS in Tasmania or you would like to be included on the CUPS distribution list, please contact us by email at tasmania.statistics@abs.gov.au or phone Gina Sidhu on (03) 6222 5985.


Image link to Australian Social Trends 2007 Image: Australian Social Trends 2007


Australian Social Trends, 2007

Australian Social Trends, 2007 (cat. no. 4102.0) was released on 7 August 2007. This publication presents information on contemporary social issues and areas of public policy concern. Drawing on a wide range of ABS statistics, and statistics from other official sources, Australian Social Trends describes aspects of Australian society, and how these are changing over time.

This edition includes a focus on fertility, maternity and babies (such as recent increases in Australia's fertility and maternity leave arrangements), as well as articles about one-parent families, international students, wealth in housing, overweight and obesity, trends in household consumption and women's experience of partner violence.

The material presented is organised into nine chapters including population, family and community, health, education and training, work, economic resources and housing as well as another chapter covering other areas of concern such as crime and justice and the environment. The summary tables, graphs and commentary at the beginning of each chapter show at a glance changes that have taken place at a national level over a decade, and differences across states and territories for the most recent year. Australian Social Trends on the ABS website also contains state and territory data for a ten year period in spreadsheet format.

For further information contact the Director of Social Analysis and Reporting on (02) 6252 7187.


General Statistical Enquiries

Phone: 1300 135 070 (between 8.30am-5.00pm EST)
Email: client.services@abs.gov.au
Fax: 1300 135 211
Post: Client Services, ABS, GPO Box 796, Sydney, 2001


Frequently Asked Question (FAQ): What is the House Price Index?

The HPI measures the rate of change in the prices of the stock of established houses, including the land component, in the 8 capital cities. The national HPI is a weighted average of the indexes for the 8 capital cities. The scope for the HPI is restricted to those dwellings where the primary purpose is residential (i.e. excluding commercial properties) regardless of ownership or tenure of the occupants (i.e. including government-owned properties and properties owned by private landlords).

As the name indicates, the HPI is presented as a price index. Price indexes allow the comparison of two sets of prices for a common item or group of items. An index number on its own has little meaning. The value of a price index stems from the fact that index numbers for any two periods can be used to directly calculate price change between those periods. For example, the HPI Sydney index number of 93.5 in December quarter 2005 says nothing more than Sydney house prices have fallen on average by 6.5% from the base year 2003-04 (when the index was set to 100.0).

In order to compare the sets of prices it is necessary to designate one set the ‘reference’ set and the other the ‘comparison’ set. The reference price set is used as the base (or first) period for constructing the index and is generally given an index value of 100. So if the index was set to 100.0 in 2003-04 and the average price of a house was $100 000, and by 2005-06 the index had gone up by 50.0 points, then the average price of a house would be $150 000.

It is important to note that the capital city indexes measure price movements over time in each city individually; they do not measure differences in price levels between cities. Having a higher index value in one city compared with another simply means that the price change since the base period has been greater in the first city.

This definition is based on definitions from A Guide to the House Price Index (cat. no. 6464.0) and Producer and International Trade Price Indexes: Concepts, Sources and Methods (cat. no. 6429.0).


Selected Recent Releases

5676.0 Business Indicators, Australia, Jun 2007 (03/09/2007)
Contains quarterly estimates of profits, income from the sale of goods and services, wages and salaries, and the book value of inventories. These data are classified by broad industry, and original, seasonally adjusted and trend estimates are included for Australia, in current price terms. Volume measures are published for sales and inventories. State/territory data will also be included for sales, and wages and salaries, in current price terms.

8755.0 Construction Work Done, Australia, Preliminary, Jun 2007 (29/08/2007)
Presents preliminary statistics for the value of construction work done in Australia. Separate data is shown for building work done and for engineering work done for both the private and public sectors. The building work done data is further dissected into new residential, alterations and additions to residential and non-residential work. Original, seasonally adjusted and trend estimates for Australia, as well as some original state and territory data, are provided in current prices and chain volume measures terms.

4183.0 Cultural Funding by Government, Australia, 2005-06 (23/08/2007)
Contains estimates of funding for arts and cultural activities by the three levels of government in Australia, by state and territory.

4156.0 Sports and Physical Recreation: A Statistical Overview, Australia, 2007, Edition 1 (20/08/2007)
Provides a statistical overview of sports and physical recreation in Australia. Topics covered include output of the sports and physical recreation sector, employment in sports and physical recreation, government outlays on recreation, international trade in sports and physical recreation goods, attendances at sporting events, and participation in sports and physical recreation activities. Contains some state level data.

8622.0 Retail and Wholesale Industries, Australia, 2005-06 (17/08/2007)
Presents results, in respect of the 2005-06 financial year, from a survey of retail and wholesale businesses in Australia. Details include number of businesses, employment, income and expenses, operating profit and industry value added. Also includes breakdowns by industry, size of business and state.

4610.0.55.005 An Experimental Monetary Water Account for Australia, 2004-05 (15/08/2007)
This paper presents some experimental monetary water accounts that allow some of the physical flows of water to be matched with monetary transactions for 2004-05. Linking monetary and physical water accounts provides information useful for determining efficient water allocation, achieving cost recovery for water infrastructure assets and analysing trade-offs between alternative water and economic policies. The data available at present for compiling monetary water accounts for Australia are limited and of varying quality. A feature of this research paper is a discussion of gaps and deficiencies that would need to be addressed in order to support a more complete monetary water account. Includes some state level data.

4159.6.55.001 General Social Survey, Tasmania (23/07/2007)
Presents summary results for Tasmania from the 2006 General Social Survey (GSS). The GSS brings together a wide range of information from different areas of social concern. Topics include health, housing, education, work, income, financial stress, assets and liabilities, transport, social capital, voluntary work, family and community, and crime. This product includes summary tables for different population groups and selected themes, together with more detailed cross classified tables covering selected topics.

8635.6.55.001 Tourist Accommodation Small Area Data, Tasmania - Electronic Delivery, Mar 2007 (06/07/2007)
Contains the results from the on-going quarterly Survey of Tourist Accommodation. Data provide information on the supply of, and demand for, tourist accommodation facilities. Data include number of establishments, capacity and employment for the quarter and occupancy and takings from accommodation for each month; by type of establishment and by star grading. This is a useful reference for policy makers and industry monitors and advisers. Information is presented for each state/territory and Australia and by Tourism Regions as defined by the respective state/territory tourism commissions.

6354.0 Job Vacancies, Australia, May 2007 (28/07/2007)
Contains estimates of the number of job vacancies with state and territory and industry dissections.


Future Statistical Releases

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