1216.0.55.002 - Information Paper: Outcome from The Review of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification, 2008  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 25/07/2008  First Issue
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BUILDING AND IMPLEMENTING THE ASGS


THE INTRODUCTION OF THE ASGS

The ASGS will be available from late 2010 and will become effective from 1 July 2011. It will be implemented progressively from this date for all ABS collections, including the 2011 Census of Population and Housing and the 2011 Agricultural Census.


The ASGC will continue to be published in its present form until July 2010, with a final abbreviated version published in July 2011, excluding Census Collection Districts (CDs). The 2011 Census of Population and Housing will be released on the 2011 ASGS and the abbreviated ASGC.


The release of the Remoteness Areas and Urban Centres and Localities based on the ASGS will occur, as is current practice, after the analysis of the 2011 Census of Population and Housing data.


The design of the main structure of the ASGS will occur throughout 2008 - 2010. This process will involve extensive stakeholder consultation. The ABS will endeavour to facilitate stakeholder input during the consultation period for the development of each level of the ASGS.


ABS encourages the adoption of the ASGS based on mesh blocks by other organisations to increase the comparability of statistical information across Australia.



SA2 design

The SA2s are the key level in the ASGS as the majority of intercensal data will be available at this level. SA2 boundaries will constrain SA1s, and the higher levels of the ASGS main structure will be made up of whole SA2s.


Draft SA2s will be designed on a state by state basis, with stakeholders given 3 months to comment on the draft SA2 design for their state. There is considerable scope for the draft SA2 boundaries to be changed as a result of stakeholder feedback. SA2 design should be completed in the first half of 2009.



SA1 design

Once the SA2 boundaries have been finalised for each state, SA1 design will commence and stakeholders will again be given 3 months to comment. Minor changes to SA2 boundaries can be accommodated in this process.



SA3, SA4, Significant Urban Areas

The design of SA3s, SA4s and Significant Urban Areas will run parallel to the design of the SA1 boundaries. There will be a 6 week consultation period to comment because the issues are less complex.



Non-ABS Structures

The Non-ABS structures will be operational for the 2011 Census of Population and Housing based upon mesh blocks.


Only Indigenous Geography needs to be finalised by 2011 Census of Population and Housing and this will be done by the ABS National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics (NCATSIS) in close cooperation with their stakeholders.


The Non-ABS structure includes:

  • LGAs
  • Postcodes
  • Indigenous geography
  • Electoral Divisions
  • Natural Resource Management Regions
  • Australian River Basins

Correspondence files will be available and if user demand exists, mesh block approximated boundaries will be released.