Changes to environmental household statistics

Three new publications for environmental household data

Three new publications will provide environmental information on households, replacing the publication Environmental Issues: People’s Views and Practices (cat. no. 4602.0). Prior to 2008, this publication focused on one of three rotating topics each year: energy use and conservation; waste management and transport use; and water use and conservation.

To provide users with easier access to environmental household data, this publication has been replaced with three new publications:

Environmental Issues: Energy use and conservation (cat. no. 4602.0.55.001) will present results from the energy use and conservation survey previously published in Environmental Issues: People’s Views and Practices in 1994, 1999, 2002 and 2005. Results from the 2008 survey will be published under the new title in November 2008.

Environmental Issues: Waste management and transport use (cat. no. 4602.0.55.002) will present results from the waste management and transport survey previously published under Environmental Issues: People’s Views and Practices in 1996, 2000, 2003 and 2006. The next survey is planned for March 2009.

Environmental Issues: Water source, use and conservation (cat. no. 4602.0.55.003) presents results from the water source, use and conservation survey that were previously published in 1994, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2007. The next survey is in March 2010.

For more information, contact Fiona Clarke on (02) 6252 5180 or email: fiona.j.clarke@abs.gov.au


Sample size reductions to affect environmental household survey

Environmental household survey data collected in 2008 and 2009 will be affected by sample size reductions. The data will be published in Environmental Issues: Energy Use and Conservation (Nov 2008) and in Environmental Issues: Waste Management and Transport Use (Nov 2009).

The environmental household survey sample is based on part of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) sample that will see a 24% reduction due to the ABS' tight budget situation in 2008–09. This is on top of an 11% reduction being gradually introduced between November 2007 and June 2008 as part of the five-yearly review of the LFS. These sample size reductions mean that relative standard errors (RSEs) for estimates from the energy use and conservation survey are expected to be about 3% higher, while the waste management and transport use survey RSEs are expected to be about 24% higher than estimates from the previous survey. This may affect the availability of small area data.

The 24% sample size reduction is being conducted in such as way that it can be easily restored, should the ABS funding position improve in the following financial year.

For more information on reductions in sample size, please contact Graeme Brown on: (02) 6252 5920 or email: graeme.brown@abs.gov.au