Life Course Dataset

The pilot Life Course Dataset is being created by safely linking the existing Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) to a selection of data sources, including data from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government and South Australia (SA) through the SA Government and University of Adelaide’s BetterStart as LCDI partners. The Life Course Dataset will include PLIDA, a selection of ACT datasets, components of the University of Adelaide BetterStart's Better Evidence Better Outcomes Linked Data (BEBOLD), state and territory births registry data, and Commonwealth Childcare data. 

The Life Course Dataset is created and protected by strict legal, governance and privacy conditions (refer to Life Course Dataset protections below). 

The Life Course Dataset will be enhanced by new methodologies and data developments, including ways to understand household and family connections and a child-level composite indicator relevant to social, economic and wellbeing outcomes. For more information, refer to Data developments. 

• The Life Course Dataset is created and protected under the Census and Statistics Act 1905. The pilot LCDI complies with the Privacy Act and is in line with PLIDA and relevant jurisdictional data custodian and ethics approval processes.
• The Life Course Dataset and its components are governed by the same ABS Privacy and Security protections that govern PLIDA, in addition to jurisdictional governance. More information is available on Access to Integrated Data, Keeping integrated data safe and Privacy in PLIDA.
• Research undertaken with the Life Course Dataset will be subject to agreement by relevant data custodians, including ethics approvals as required, and will occur within the Five Safes Framework.
• All unit record level data will be held within the secure DataLab environment only and is under strict protections and conditions.
• An independent Privacy Impact Assessment will be completed to explore privacy considerations for the LCDI and will be published on the ABS website. PLIDA/MADIP Privacy Impact Assessments are an important part of the governance and accountability framework and helps identify and manage privacy impacts.

Access to the pilot Life Course Dataset and its components is facilitated by the ABS through the DataLab environment. Access is limited to LCDI researchers who meet the conditions for safe and secure data access in the ABS DataLab and have their access approved by relevant PLIDA and jurisdictional data custodians. 

The DataLab user guide outlines the requirements users, including the ABS, must meet before access is granted. These requirements include undertaking ABS safe researcher training and signing relevant undertakings prior to accessing any de-identified data for research purposes.  

The Life Course Dataset is available for request by LCDI researchers for approved LCDI research projects, with phased access from March 2025.  

For more information about the Life Course Dataset, contact life.course@abs.gov.au.