Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement

There is increasing demand for higher quality data about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to inform key policy initiatives such as Closing the Gap, and to better fulfil ABS’ commitment to return information to the community.

We are dedicated to early and ongoing conversations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to increase the participation in, and relevance of, our statistical collections.

The Centre of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics (CoATSIS) has a leadership and coordination role for national statistical activity about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. They engage with communities across a range of statistical activities and outputs such as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and social surveys, the five-yearly Census, administrative data, and data integration projects. The objectives of CoATSIS are to:

• inform Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, organisations, and the wider community about current and emerging statistics and statistical issues related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• provide governments with reliable statistical information on Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population that can be used to support policy development and evaluation
• contribute to national reporting including Closing the Gap
• assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations in the effective use of statistics
• support best practice in the enumeration of statistics related to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population and in relevant quantitative methods
• promote improvements in the quality of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander statistics from ABS and other collections, and in the integration of datasets
• ensure that broad consultation with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community remains a priority in the coordination and development of national statistics whilst providing cultural security in all interactions with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Luke Verghese is the Director of CoATSIS. CoATSIS can be contacted via coatsis@abs.gov.au. 

CoATSIS has a number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement staff based in ABS State and Territory offices throughout Australia to support meaningful engagement with their local communities on ABS work. Their role is to:

• engage with urban, regional and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through collaborative partnerships to increase understanding of, and participation in, ABS collections
• return information to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities including the provision of statistical training to communities in order to increase their access to ABS information
• Improve the quality and relevance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander statistics for key stakeholders including meeting the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Victoria and Tasmania

South Australia

Queensland

New South Wales/ACT

Northern Territory (Vacant)

Western Australia (Vacant)

The Round Table is an advisory group established by the ABS to work with us to improve data quality and engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The Round Table helps ensure our statistics program is delivering culturally appropriate solutions that meet the information needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and organisations, as well as reliably informing government policy.

The group also has a focus on increasing participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our statistical collections, including the Census.

Membership is made up of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with experience in research, policy, service provision and advocacy on issues important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians from urban, regional and remote communities.

Donnie Johannessen (Co-Chair)

Marcella Ketchell (Co-Chair)

Sonia Towson

Dianne Baldock

Eunice Yu

Gerry Moore

Mara West

Norsiyah Mokak

Peter Riley

Sharon Barnes

Sharon Hayes

Vanessa Davis

Mark Elliott

Samantha Faulkner

Vicki Murray

 

ATSIDSEAG provides technical advice and guidance on methodological issues relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander demographic statistics. Examples of demographic statistics include population estimates, population projections, and fertility and mortality measures, including life tables and life expectancy estimates.

Members of ATSIDSEAG, some of whom are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, come from research and policy areas across government, universities or private consultancies and have at least one of the following:

• knowledge of demographic statistics, in particular their technical expertise
• understanding of quality issues surrounding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander demographic statistics 
• knowledge and understanding of cultural issues in the collection, production and dissemination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander demographic statistics. 

The objective of ATSIDSEAG is to maximise the relevance, quality and usefulness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander demographic statistics compiled and released by the ABS.

Current membership:

Ms Denise Carlton

Program Manager, Population Statistics | Australian Bureau of Statistics (Chairperson)

Dr Fadwa Al-Yaman 

Group Head, Indigenous Group | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Mr Andrew McDonald

Project Manager (Director), Closing the Gap Review and Reporting Group | Productivity Commission

Dr Harleen Basrai

Acting Director, Research, Data and Performance Section | First Nations Health Division | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

Ms Roslyn Gittins

Principal Statistician, Demography & Indigenous Statistics | Queensland Government Statistician’s Office

Associate Professor Kalinda Griffiths (FRSN)

Director, Poche SA+NT | College of Medicine and Public Health Research and Education Lead, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health | Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre Alliance

Professor Lisa Jackson Pulver AM 

University of Sydney (currently on sabbatical)

Professor Richard Madden

WHO-CC for Strengthening Rehabilitation Capacity in Health Systems | Sydney Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics | University of Sydney

Professor Yin Paradies 

Alfred Deakin Professor and Chair in Race Relations | Deakin University | Faculty of Arts and Education

Ms Debra Reid

Consultant, Chair of ABS Round Table on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics (2013-2019)

Professor Ian Ring AO Hon DSc

MB BS MPH MSc FAFPHM FACRRM DLSHTM | Division of Tropical Health & Medicine | James Cook University 

Mr Timothy Saunders

Senior Advisor, Analysis, Data and Policy Transformation | Strategic Insights Branch | National Indigenous Australians Agency

Dr Leonard Smith

Academic Visitor, School of Demography | Australian National University

Associate Professor Andrew Taylor

Demographer, Northern Institute | Faculty of Arts and Society | Charles Darwin University

Mr Guy Thorburn

Australian Government Actuary

Contact us:

Secretariat services for ATSIDSEAG are provided by the Population Statistics Branch within the ABS.

ATSIDSEAG Secretariat
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Locked Bag 10
Belconnen ACT 2616

Email: demography@abs.gov.au

Freedom of Information