National Regional Profile: Glossary  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 29/04/2010 CLASSIFICATIONS CODE: 309056763   
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Age Pension

Age pension is a payment for persons who have reached Age Pension age. Age Pension age depends on the individual's date of birth.

Articulated trucks

Motor vehicles constructed primarily for load carrying, consisting of a prime mover having no significant load carrying area, but with a turntable device which can be linked to one or more trailers.

Assets

An asset is an entity of a financial or non-financial nature, owned by the household or its members, and from which economic benefits may be derived by holding or use over a period of time. This includes accounts held with financial institutions, shares, trusts, debentures and bonds, the net value of own unincorporated and incorporated businesses, superannuation, children's assets, loans to persons outside the household, other financial investments, owner occupied property, other property assets, dwelling contents and vehicles.

Australian Standard Geographical Classification

The Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) is a classification maintained by the ABS, for the collection and dissemination of geographically classified statistics. The ASGC is updated each year. All data in the National Regional Profile is presented on ASGC 2008. This structure is to be superseded from 2011 with a new ABS Australian Statistical Geography Standard.

Bounded Locality


A category of the Section of State geographic structure of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification which uses population counts from the latest Census of Population and Housing. Bounded locality includes areas with populations of 200 to 999.

Building


A building is a rigid, fixed and permanent structure which has a roof. Its intended purpose is primarily to house people, plant, machinery, vehicles, goods or livestock.

Buses


Motor vehicles constructed for the carriage of passengers. Included are all motor vehicles with 10 or more seats, including the driver's seat.

Business entry


A business entry is the registration of a new business for an Australian Business Number (ABN) and the allocation of a Good and Services Tax (GST) role, or the allocation of a GST role to an existing ABS which previously did not have this role.

Business exit


A business exit is the cancellation of an ABN or GST role and/or when a business ceases remit GST for at least five consecutive quarters in respect of that ABN.

Campervans


Self-propelled motor vehicles containing an area primarily used for accommodation. Included are motor homes and powered caravans.

Carer Payment

Carer Payment is for people who are unable to support themselves through participation in the workforce while caring for someone with a disability, severe medical condition, or who is frail and aged.

Disability Support Pension

Disability Support Pension is a payment that provides income support for people who have a permanent physical, intellectual or psychiatric impairment.

Dwelling unit


A dwelling unit is a self-contained suite of rooms, including cooking and bathing facilities and intended for long-term residential use. Regardless of whether they are self-contained or not, units within buildings offering institutional care (e.g. hospital) or temporary accommodation (e.g. motels, hostels and holiday apartments) are not defined as dwelling units. Such units are included in non-residential building approvals. Dwelling units can be created in one of four ways: through new work to create a residential building; through alteration/addition work to an existing residential building; through either new or alteration/addition work on non-residential building or through conversion of a non-residential building to a residential building.

Estimated resident population


Estimated Resident Populations (ERP) are official estimates of the Australian population, which link people to a place of usual residence within Australia. Usual residence is that place where each person has lived or intends to live for six months or more from the reference date for data collection.

Family


A family is defined by the ABS as two or more persons, one of whom is at least 15 years of age, who are related by blood, marriage (registered or de facto), adoption, step or fostering, and who are usually resident in the same household.

Heavy rigid trucks


Rigid trucks of gross vehicle mass greater than 4.5 tonnes.

House


A house is a detached building primarily used for long term residential purposes. It consists of one dwelling unit. For instance, detached 'granny flats' and detached dwelling units (e.g. caretaker's residences) associated with non-residential building are defined as houses. Also includes 'cottages', 'bungalows' and rectories.

Household


A household is defined as one or more persons, at least one of whom is at least 15 years of age, usually resident in the same private dwelling.

Indigenous population


Includes persons of Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin.

Individual annual taxable income


For an individual, the taxable income is the amount remaining after deducting from assessable income all deductions allowed under the Income Tax Assessment Act for that year and is the amount to which tax rates are applied. Average individual annual taxable income in an area is calculated by dividing the total taxable income by the total number of taxable taxpayers.

Inner regional


A category of the Remoteness geographic structure where geographic distances impose some restrictions on the accessibility to the widest range of goods, services and opportunities for social interaction.

Investment

Investment income includes:

  • interest from financial institutions,
  • net rent and dividends or distributions (including imputation credits) from an Australian company, corporate unit trust or public trading trust,
  • distributions from trusts - non-primary production which mainly includes income from investments with cash management trusts, property trusts, money market trusts, mortgage trusts and unit trusts.

Labour force

For any group, persons who were employed or unemployed (see Unemployment).

Liabilities

A liability is an obligation which requires one unit (the debtor) to make a payment or series of payments to the other unit (the creditor) in certain circumstances specified in a contract between them. Includes the principal outstanding on loans for owner occupied dwellings or other property, study loans, credit card debt, vehicle loans, investment loans and other loans.

Light commercial vehicles


Vehicles primarily constructed for the carriage of goods, and which are less than or equal to 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass. Included are utilities, panel vans, cab-chassis and forward-control load carrying vehicles (whether four-wheel drive or not).

Light rigid trucks


Rigid trucks of gross vehicle mass greater than 3.5 tonnes and less than or equal to 4.5 tonnes.

Local government area


Local Government Areas (LGAs) are spatial units which represent the geographical areas of incorporated local government councils. Each LGA has an official status which is indicated by the LGA type : (A) NSW LGA (excluding Cities), (AC) Aboriginal Council, (B) Borough, (C) City, (CGC) Community Government Council, (DC) District Council, (IC) Island Council, (M) Municipality/Municipal Council, (S) Shire, (RC) Rural City, (RegC) Regional Council and (T) Town. The major areas of Australia not administered by incorporated bodies are the northern parts of South Australia, most of the Northern Territory and all of the Australian Capital Territory and the Other Territories. LGAs are made up of one or more Statistical Local Areas (SLAs).

Major cities


A category of the Remoteness geographic structure of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification where geographic distances impose minimal restrictions on the accessibility to the widest range of goods, services and opportunities for social interaction.

Major urban


A category of the Section of State geographic structure of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification which uses population counts from the latest Census of Population and Housing. Major Urban includes areas with a population of 100,000 or more.

Migratory


A category of the Section of State geographic structure of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification which uses population counts from the latest Census of Population and Housing. Migratory is composed of off-shore, shipping and migratory Collection Districts.

Motorcycles


Two and three wheeled motor vehicles constructed primarily for the carriage of one or two persons. Included are two and three wheeled mopeds, scooters, motor tricycles and motorcycles with sidecars.

Net tax


Net tax for individuals is calculated from Total income less deductions and losses, applying marginal tax rates, adding complementary tax, less tax offsets and adding the Medicare levy and surcharge.

Net worth

Net worth represents the value of household assets minus the value of household liabilities.

Newstart Allowance

Newstart Allowance is a payment for people who are looking for work and allows them to participate in activities designed to increase their chances of finding work. Persons must be aged 21 to 64 to qualify.

Non-freight carrying trucks


Specialist motor vehicles or motor vehicles fitted with special purpose equipment, and having little or no goods carrying capacity (e.g. ambulances, cherry pickers, fire trucks and tow trucks).

Non-residential building


A non-residential building is primarily intended for purposes other than long-term residential purposes.

Non-taxable individual

Personal (or individual) taxpayers with net tax payable equal to $0.

Other income


Other income (excluding Government pensions and allowances) is made up of selected sources of other income reported on the individual income tax return that were not allocated to Wages and salaries, Own unincorporated business, Investment, Superannuation and annuities.

Other urban


A category of the Section of State geographic structure of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification which uses population counts from the latest Census of Population and Housing. Other urban includes areas with a population of 1,000 to 99,999.

Outer regional


A category of the Remoteness structure of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification, where geographic distances impose moderate restrictions on the accessibility to the widest range of goods, services and opportunities for social interaction.

Own unincorporated business

Own unincorporated business income includes the following data items on the individual income tax return:
  • net income (or loss) from business,
  • distributions from partnerships and trusts for primary production activities,
  • distributions from partnerships for non-primary production activities and
  • net personal services income.

Parenting Payment

Parenting Payment is a payment for persons who are primary carers of children.

Passenger vehicles


Motor vehicles constructed primarily for the carriage of persons and containing up to nine seats (including the driver's seat). Included are cars, station wagons, four-wheel drive passenger vehicles and forward-control vehicles. Excluded are campervans.

Population density


The population density for a region is calculated by dividing the Estimated Resident Population (ERP) by the land area.

Private sector houses


A house is a detached building primarily used for long term residential purposes. It consists of one dwelling unit. Building ownership is classified as either public or private sector and is based on the sector of intended owner of the completed building at the time of approval.

Relative standard error


The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of sampling variability which is obtained by expressing the standard error as a percentage of the estimate to which it refers. For example, if the estimate is 0.5 and the standard error is 0.05, then the relative standard error will be 10%. The relative standard error is a useful measure in that it provides an immediate indication of the percentage of errors likely to have occurred due to sampling and thus avoids the need to refer also to the size of the estimate.

Remote


A category of the Remoteness structure of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification, where geographic distances impose high restrictions on the accessibility to the widest range of goods, services and opportunities for social interaction.

Residential building


A residential building is a building consisting of one or more dwelling units. Residential buildings can be either houses or other residential buildings.

Rural balance


A category of the Section of State geographic structure of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification, which uses population counts from the latest Census of Population and Housing. Rural balance includes areas with less than 200 people.

Standardised death rate


Standardised death rates enable the comparison of death rates between populations with different age structures by relating them to a standard population. The ABS standard populations relate to the years ending in 1 (e.g. 2001). The current standard population is all persons in the 2001 Australian population. Standardised death rates are expressed per 1,000 standard population.

The indirect method of calculating standardised death rates has been used. This method is used when the populations under study are small and the age-specific death rates are unreliable or not known. It is an adjustment to the crude death rate of the standard population (number of deaths registered during the calendar year per 1,000 estimated resident population of the same age at the mid point of the year) to account for the variation between the actual number of deaths which would have occurred if the population under study had experienced the age-specific death rates of the standard population.

State/Territory


States and Territories are geographic areas and political entities with fixed boundaries. States and Territories consist of one or more Statistical Divisions. In aggregate, they cover Australia without gaps or overlaps.

Statistical division


Statistical Divisions (SDs) consist of one or more Statistical Subdivisions (SSDs) and form a larger and more stable spatial unit for the presentation of data. SDs are defined as socially and economically homogeneous regions characterised by identifiable links between inhabitants, under the unifying influence of one or more major cities or towns. In aggregate, they cover Australia without gaps or overlaps. These divisions are defined within the ABS Australian Standard Geographical Classification

Statistical local area


The Statistical Local Area (SLA) is a general purpose spatial unit. It is the base spatial unit used to collect and disseminate statistics other than those collected from the Population Censuses. In non-census years, the SLA is the smallest unit defined in the Australian Standard Geographical Classification. SLAs are based on the boundaries of incorporated bodies of local government (ie Local Government Areas or LGAs) where these exist. Where there is no incorporated body of local government, SLAs are defined to cover the unincorporated areas. One or more SLAs can make up an LGA. In aggregate, SLAs cover Australia without gaps or overlaps.

Statistical subdivision


Statistical Subdivisions (SSDs) consist of one or more Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) and form an intermediate size spatial unit for the presentation of data. SSDs are defined as socially and economically homogeneous regions characterised by identifiable links between inhabitants. One or more SSDs can make up a Statistical Division (SD). In aggregate, they cover Australia without gaps or overlaps.

Superannuation and annuities

Superannuation and annuity income includes superannuation and similar pensions and annuities paid by an Australian superannuation fund, a retirement saving account provider, a registered organisation or life assurance company and pensions paid by a fund established for the benefit of Commonwealth, state or territory employees and their dependants. Also included in this category are bonuses from life insurance companies and friendly societies.

Taxable individual

Personal (or individual) taxpayers with net tax payable greater than $0.

Taxable income (or loss)

Income as reported on the individual income tax return, less deductions and less prior year losses for primary production and non-primary production.

Total fertility rate


The sum of age-specific fertility rates (live births at each age of mother per female population of that age). It represents the number of children a female would bear during her lifetime if she experienced current age-specific fertility rates at each age of her reproductive life.

Total income of wage and salary earners


For wage and salary earners, the sum of income from all sources as reported on the individual income tax return for the financial year. Average total income in an area is calculated by dividing the total income by the total number of wage and salary earners.

Unemployment


Persons aged 15 and over who were not employed during the reference week and had actively looked for full-time or part-time work at any time in the four weeks up to the end of the reference week and were available for work in the reference week or were waiting to start a new job within four weeks from the end of the reference week and could have started in the reference week if the job had been available then.

Unemployment rate


For any group, the number of unemployed persons expressed as a percentage of the labour force in the same group.

Value of building


Statistics on the value of building work approved are derived by aggregating the estimated 'value of building work when completed' as reported on building approval documents provided to local councils or other building approval authorities. Conceptually these value data should exclude the value of land and landscaping but include site preparation costs. These estimates are usually a reliable indicator of the completed value of 'houses'. However, for 'other residential buildings' and 'non-residential buildings', they can differ significantly from the completed value of the building as final costs and contracts have not been established before council approval is sought and gained.

Very remote


A category of the Remoteness structure where geographic distances impose the highest restrictions on the accessibility to the widest range of goods, services and opportunities for social interaction.

Voluntary work for an organisation or group


This includes help willingly given in the form of time, service or skills, to a club, organisation or association. Unpaid voluntary work can include:
  • assisting at organised events and with sports associations
  • helping with organised school events and activities
  • assisting in churches, hospitals, nursing homes and charities
  • other kinds of volunteer work (e.g. emergency services, etc.).

Wage and salary earners


Persons aged 15 years and over who have submitted an individual income tax return and who earned wage and salary income in the financial year.

Wage and salary


Wage and salary income, as reported on the income tax return, includes:
  • Gross income, as shown on the 'PAYG payment summary - individual non-business',
  • Allowances, which may include car, travel or transport allowances, allowances for tools, clothing or laundry and dirt, risk, meal or entertainment allowances,
  • Commissions, bonuses, tips, gratuities, consultation fees, honoraria and other payments for services,
  • Attributed personal services income,
  • Eligible termination payments and
  • Lump sums.

Youth Allowance

Youth Allowance is a payment for young people who are studying, undertaking training or an Australian Apprenticeship, looking for work, or sick. Persons must be aged 15 to 24 to qualify.