4240.0.55.002 - National Early Childhood Education and Care Collection: Data Collection Guide, 2012  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 13/03/2013   
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AREA OF USUAL RESIDENCE - ASGS 2011 (MESH BLOCK)

Technical name: N/A
METeOR identifier: N/A
METeOR link: N/A
METeOR definition: N/A
Note: This is an additional data element. The Australian Statistical Geographic Standard (ASGS) is the new geographic standard that has replaced the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC). The ABS requests this data element to better report on geographic locations.

Scope

Inclusions: For all children enrolled in a preschool program:

  • The area of usual residence of the child's parent or guardian, with whom the child spends the majority of their time.

Exclusions:
  • The Mesh Block (MB) of the post office box of the child's parent or guardian.
  • The area of usual residence for any other parent or guardian of the child that is not the parent or guardian with whom the child spends the majority of their time.
  • Children not enrolled in a preschool program.

Underlying Concepts

Concept: Area of usual residence – ASGS 2011 (Mesh Block).
Nominal definition: Area of usual residence is the place where the child has lived or intends to live for six months or more from the reference date of the data collection, as represented by a geographical area code Mesh Block (MB).
Operational definition: Area of usual residence is the place where the child's parent or guardian lives, as represented by a geographical area code MB. The address should be reported for the parent or guardian with whom the child spends the majority of their time. The child's parent or guardian must be asked to identify the address on the child's behalf and the service provider should record this on the child's enrolment record.
Supporting data elements: The following data elements are used to ascertain the child's area of usual residence and to geo-code an address to MB for this data element:

Conceptual issues:
  • By recording the geographic location of the child's 'area of usual residence', this information can be used to determine the socio-economic status of the area in which the child's parent or guardian lives. This information assists in the derivation of disadvantage status and the disaggregation of Indigenous children by geographic location.
  • Area of usual residence- ASGS 2011 (Mesh Block) also enables disaggregation of data by remoteness area.
  • Area of usual residence- ASGS 2011 (Mesh Block) is derived from the data elements outlined above. Jurisdictions wishing to undertake their own coding should contact the ABS for further information about the correct use of geography correspondences.
  • Operationally, the area of usual residence of the child's parent or guardian are recorded as it is assumed that the child lives with the parent or guardian and it is infeasible for children in scope of this collection to self-report. It is also not operationally possible to confirm whether or not the address provided on the service provider records is the place that the parent or guardian has or intends to live for 6 months or more, in accordance with the nominal definition of 'usual residence'. Operationally, the Area of usual residence - ASGS 2011 (Mesh Block) should reflect that of the parent or guardian with whom the child spends the majority of their time.

The Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS)
  • The Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) has replaced the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC). For further information to assist you to move from the ASGC to the ASGS please refer to the ABS website at <https://www.abs.gov.au/geography>.

Mesh Block (MB)
  • Mesh Blocks (MBs) are the smallest geographic region in the ASGS and form the basis for the larger regions of the ASGS. There are approximately 347,000 MBs covering the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps. They broadly identify land use such as residential, commercial, agricultural and parks etc. MBs are the building blocks for all the larger regions of the ASGS. As MBs are very small they can be combined together to accurately approximate a large range of other statistical regions.

Mesh Block

Classification Scheme: Australian Statistical Geography Standard 2011
Representation class: Code
Data type: String
Format: N(11), for example: 40520305768
Maximum character length: 11
Supplementary values:
    19999998999 - New South Wales: undefined MB
    29999998999 - Victoria: undefined MB
    39999998999 - Queensland: undefined MB
    49999998999 - South Australia: undefined MB
    59999998999 - Western Australia: undefined MB
    69999998999 - Tasmania: undefined MB
    79999998999 - Northern Territory: undefined MB
    89999998999 - Australian Capital Territory: undefined MB
    99999998999 - Other Territories: undefined MB

2.1.21 LEGAL VALUE CHECKS


Edit specificationsEdit resolution

1. If field contains text.Provide a valid MB code, otherwise amend to state/territory MB supplementary value.

2.If character length of MB field is greater than 11.Provide a valid MB code, otherwise amend to state/territory MB undefined code.



Guide for Use

Counting rules:
  • Code the area of usual residence to MB, using the child's parent or guardian's address line, postcode, suburb/town/locality name and state/territory, as obtained from the child's enrolment record.
  • The place of usual residence of the parent or guardian with whom the child spends the majority of their time should be used for coding to MB. If the child spends 50% with one parent/guardian and 50% with the other, use the 1st residential address recorded.
  • Include those children who are living outside of the jurisdiction's borders, if the child attends preschool within the jurisdiction. For example, a child living in Queanbeyan that attends a preschool within Canberra would be recorded within the ACT jurisdictional data set, not the NSW data set.
  • For children boarding at a boarding school, report the MB code for the area of usual residence of the child's parent or guardian, not the boarding school.

Classification Definitions

Undefined MB codes
For use when the address of the child's parent or guardian is not known or incomplete, or where the jurisdiction is unable to accurately code to MB. Where address information is unknown, the ABS requests that jurisdictions identify the reason for the unknown response and document any follow-up processes undertaken.

Other Information

Related aggregate data elements: No related aggregate data element.



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