2901.0 - Census Dictionary, 2006 (Reissue)  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 09/10/2008  Reissue
   Page tools: Print Print Page  

2006 Census Geographies


Description


2006 Census Geographies

2006 Census products use the Australian Standard Geographic Classifications (ASGC) and the Census Geographic Areas. The following is a list of these and description for each to assist you in your decision on which best suits your requirements.

AustraliaState Electoral Division
State/TerritorySection of State
Statistical DivisionSection of State Range
Statistical Sub DivisionUrban Centre or Locality
Statistical Local AreaMajor Statistical Region
Census Collection District Statistical Region
Local Government AreaStatistical Region Sector
Remoteness AreaPlace of Work - Study Area
State SuburbPlace of Work - Statistical Local Area
Postal AreaIndigenous Region
Commonwealth Electoral Division 2004Indigenous Area
Commonwealth Electoral Division 2007Indigenous Location

AUSTRALIA
The total Australian population in Census tabulations comprises all people counted in Geographical Australia: the six states, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory, Jervis Bay Territory and the external territories of Christmas Islands and Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

STATE/TERRITORY
State/Territory is the largest spatial unit in the Main Structure and the Australian Standard Geographical Classification. States and Territories are political entities with fixed boundaries and, in aggregate, cover Australia without gaps or overlaps.

STATISTICAL DIVISION
A Statistical Division (SD) is an Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) defined area which represents a large, general purpose, regional type geographic area. SDs consist of one or more Statistical Subdivisions and cover, in aggregate, the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps.
STATISTICAL SUB DIVISION
The Statistical Subdivision (SSD) is an Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) defined area which represents an intermediate level, general purpose, regional type geographic unit. They consist of one or more Statistical Local Areas and cover, in aggregate, the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps.

STATISTICAL LOCAL AREA
The Statistical Local Area (SLA) is defined as an area which consists of one or more collection districts. In most cases, SLAs are formed from a collection of Local Government Areas (LGA) which consist of Cities, District Councils, Community Government Councils, Municipalities, Shires, Rural Cities, Towns, Areas and Boroughs. Where there is no incorporated body or local government, SLAs are defined to cover the unincorporated areas. SLAs cover, in aggregate, the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps, but in reality there are several overlaps.

CENSUS COLLECTION DISTRICT
The Census Collection District (CD) is the smallest geographic area defined in the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC). Generally defined as an area that one Collector can comfortably cover delivering and collecting Census forms. CDs are defined for each Census and are current only at Census time.

For the 2006 Census, there were 38,704 CDs throughout Australia (this includes the other territories of Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Jervis Bay). In 2006, Census CDs in major cities were altered where possible to conform to suburb boundaries, allowing census statistics to be produced for these areas. CDs may also be combined to form larger geographic areas, such as Statistical Local Areas and Electoral Divisions. Collection Districts also serve as the basic building block in the ASGC and are used for the aggregation of statistics to larger census geographic areas.

A Collection District is represented by a unique seven digit code. For the 2006 Census, there is an average of about 225 dwellings in each CD. In rural areas, the number of dwellings per CD generally declines as population densities decrease.LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA
The Local Government Area (LGA) is a geographical area under the responsibility of an incorporated local government council, or an incorporated Indigenous government council. The LGAs in Australia collectively cover only a part of Australia. Their creation and delimitation is the responsibility of the respective state/territory governments, and are governed by the provisions of state/territory local government acts.

The following abbreviations are used to further classify LGAs (you will notice that these symbols often appear after you have conducted a search and been given a list of locations to select from):
(A) NSW Local Government Area (excluding cities)
(B) Borough
(C) City
(CGC) Community Government Council
(DC) District Council
(M) Municipality/Municipal Council
(S) Shire
(RC) Rural City
(T) Town

REMOTENESS AREA
Within the Australian Standard Geographical Classification, the Remoteness classification comprises five categories each of which identifies a (non-contiguous) region in Australia being a grouping of Collection Districts sharing a particular degree of remoteness. The degrees of remoteness range from 'highly accessible' (i.e. major cities) to 'very remote'.

STATE SUBURB
This is a Census-specific area where Collection Districts are aggregated to approximate gazetted suburbs and localities. Since 2001 coverage has been extended to include all of NSW, Vic, Qld, WA and Tas. It also covers most of SA and the urban parts of NT and ACT. There are no suburbs or localities gazetted in Other Territories (OT). For a list of State Suburbs, see Statistical Geography Volume 2: Census Geographic Areas, Australia (cat. no. 2905.0) on the ABS website. POSTAL AREA
Postal Areas (POA) are ABS approximations of Australia Post postcodes, created by allocating whole Collection Districts (CD) on a 'best fit' basis to postcodes. Postal Area of Enumeration is one's Postal Area at their location on Census night.

COMMONWEALTH ELECTORAL DIVISION 2004
A Commonwealth Electoral Division (CED) is an area legally prescribed for the purpose of returning one member (or more in the case of the Tasmanian House of Assembly and the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly) to the Federal, State or Territory Lower Houses of Parliament. Commonwealth Electoral Divisions (CED) have different boundaries to State Electoral Divisions (SED), except in Tasmania and the ACT where they are the same. CEDs cover all of Australia.

The Commonwealth Electoral Division 2004 (CED) areas, are the divisions as at the time of the 2006 Census. ie., 8 August 2006

COMMONWEALTH ELECTORAL DIVISION 2007
A Commonwealth Electoral Division (CED) is an area legally prescribed for the purpose of returning one member (or more in the case of the Tasmanian House of Assembly and the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly) to the Federal, State or Territory Lower Houses of Parliament. Commonwealth Electoral Divisions (CED) have different boundaries to State Electoral Divisions (SED), except in Tasmania and the ACT where they are the same. CEDs cover all of Australia.

The Commonwealth Electoral Division 2007 (CED) areas, are the redistributed divisions used during the Federal Election, which was conducted on 24/11/2007.STATE ELECTORAL DIVISION
A State Electoral Division is an area legally prescribed for the purpose of returning one member (or more in the case of the Tasmanian House of Assembly and the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly) to the Federal, State or Territory Lower Houses of Parliament. State Electoral Divisions (SED) have different boundaries to Commonwealth Electoral Divisions (CED).

SECTION OF STATE
The Section of State (SOS) classification uses population counts to define Collection Districts as urban or rural and to provide, in aggregate, statistics for urban concentrations and for bounded localities and balance areas. SOS represents an aggregation of non-contiguous geographical areas of a particular urban/rural type.

SECTION OF STATE RANGE
This geographical classification uses population counts to define Collection Districts (CDs) as urban or rural and to provide, in aggregate, statistics for urban concentrations and for bounded localities and balance areas. This geographic structure is used to determine the Section of State (SOS) geographic classification. SSR represents an aggregation of non-contiguous geographical areas of a particular urban/rural type. The Sections of State ranges are as follows;
  • 1 million or more (Major Urban – SOS)
  • 250,000 to 999,999 (Major Urban – SOS)
  • 100,000 to 249,999 (Major Urban – SOS)
  • 50,000 to 99,999 (Other Urban – SOS)
  • 20,000 to 49,999 (Other Urban – SOS)
  • 10,000 to 19,999 (Other Urban – SOS)
  • 5,000 to 9,999 (Other Urban – SOS)
  • 1,000 to 4,999 (Other Urban – SOS)
  • 500 to 999 (Bounded Locality – SOS)
  • 200 to 499 (Bounded Locality – SOS)
  • Remainder of State/Territory (Rural Balance – SOS)
  • Off-Shore, shipping, migratory (Migratory – SOS)
STATISTICAL DISTRICT
A Statistical District (SDist) is an Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) defined area which bounds a large predominantly urban area outside the Capital City Statistical Divisions. A Statistical District consists of one or more urban centres in close proximity to each other, with a total population of 25,000 or more. The boundaries of Statistical Districts are defined to contain the anticipated urban spread of the area for a period of at least twenty years.

URBAN CENTRE OR LOCALITY
An Urban Centre (UC/L) is generally defined as a population cluster of 1,000 or more people. A Locality is generally defined as a population cluster of between 200 and 999 people. People living in Urban Centres are classified as urban for statistical purposes while those in Localities are classified as rural (i.e. non-urban). Each Urban Centre and/or Locality (UC/L) is bounded (i.e. a boundary for it is clearly defined) and composed of one or more Collection Districts (CDs).

MAJOR STATISTICAL REGION
Major Statistical Regions (MSR) divide each of the five larger states, NSW, Vic, Qld, SA and WA into two geographical areas: one equates with the Capital City Statistical Division and the other with the balance of the State. Due to population size limitations, Tasmania, Northern Territory, the Australian Capital Territory and Other Territories each consist of only one MSR corresponding to the whole of the State/Territory.STATISTICAL REGION
The Statistical Region (SR) is an Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) defined area which has sufficient population to be suitable for the presentation of both population Census and labour force statistics within the frameworks for standard statistical outputs from these collections. SRs cover, in aggregate, the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps.

STATISTICAL REGION SECTOR
As divisions of Statistical Regions, Statistical Region Sectors (SRS) consist of one of more adjoining Statistical Local Areas (SLA). SRSs are used primarily for disseminating selected Population Census and labour force statistics, and have been used to present a range of regional statistics not incorporated into the main structure.

PLACE OF WORK STUDY AREA
Place of Work data provide information on where a person goes to work. The address of the person's workplace in the week prior to Census Night is coded to a Destination Zone using an index provided by the State Transport Authorities, who also define the Study Area (boundary) that is designated by that code.

A major change occurred for the 2001 Census. Previously, Place of Work Study Areas were restricted to some major urban areas in each state. If a person was not enumerated in the defined Study Area, he/she was coded to 'Not applicable'. For example, if a person regularly commuted from Goulburn to work in Sydney, Place of Work data could not be obtained from him/her. In 2001, the Study Areas were expanded to encompass all of Australia, excluding external territories. The changes for 2001 allow a more comprehensive view of transport patterns across a state or territory.

There are eight main study areas which approximate to the eight states/territories. Each study area is further classified as either extended or detailed. Detailed study areas comprise destination zones which aggregate to SLAs, while the extended study areas are not coded below the level of SLA. This allows Place of Work tables to be run for a whole state/territory at the SLA level.

Question 41 on the 2006 Census form asks, 'For the main job held last week, what was the person's workplace address?'. This address is coded to a destination zone within the detailed Place of Work study area, or to an SLA in the extended Place of Work study area.PLACE OF WORK STUDY AREA - STATISTICAL LOCAL AREA
Place of Work data provide information on where a person goes to work. The address of the person's workplace in the week prior to Census Night is coded to a Destination Zone using an index provided by the State Transport Authorities, who also define the Study
Area (boundary) that is designated by that code.
Destination Zones do not concord with Collection Districts but they do aggregate to Statistical Local Areas (SLAs), and it is at the SLA level that Place of Work data can be used in conjunction with other aggregated Census data.

INDIGENOUS REGION
The Commonwealth Government uses 30 Indigenous Coordination Centres (ICC) and the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) to manage the delivery of a range of services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people around Australia. For Census purposes, the ABS defines Indigenous Regions (IREG) based on the ICC and TSRA areas. Some ICC Regions are split into two IREGs based on statistical differences with ICC Regions, and also to allow for the Australian Capital Territory to be a discrete IREG. IREGs are aggregations of Collection Districts which lie mostly or completely within an ICC or TSRA area. IREGs cover in aggregate, the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps. (Note: IREGs have replaced ATSIC Regions used to disseminate data from the 1996 and 2001 Censuses.) Census data, including a range of Indigenous statistics such as Indigenous profiles, are available by IREG.

INDIGENOUS AREA
Indigenous Areas (IARE) are aggregates of Collection Districts which represent a population of at least 300 Indigenous persons. IAREs aggregate to Indigenous Regions, and cover the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps.

INDIGENOUS LOCATION
Indigenous Locations (ILOC) are single Collection Districts (CDs) or aggregates of CDs which have a population of at least 80 Indigenous persons. ILOCs aggregate to Indigenous Areas. ILOCs cover the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps.


Previous PageNext Page