2902.0 - Census Update (Newsletter), Dec 2002  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 03/01/2003   
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Planning ahead with Census Data

How a local company utilises CDATA and other Census data in their work.

Ratio Consultants is a Melbourne based multi-disciplinary practice that provides services in town and regional planning, transportation, civil engineering and urban design.

Ratio has a fundamental commitment to the delivery of realistic and accurate advice to clients and progressive improvement of the environment through innovative planning and creative design solutions.

There is a recognition today that new projects require sophisticated and detailed evaluation and planning so that the end result is complementary to the environment and that the physical and economic factors are understood before construction, or even before initial design work is commenced.

Most projects undertaken within the Strategic Section require the utilisation of CDATA (or Census of Population and Housing data).

Ratio utilises information from the Census for:-

  • preparation of forecasts of households and population at various geographic scales, ranging from Statistical Local Areas and smaller areas to regions
  • preparation of analyses and assessments of requirements for schools
  • assessment of catchments and trade potentials of shopping centres
  • household income analyses
  • preparation of social profiles for local areas
  • analysis of changing patterns of employment in metropolitan and regional areas
  • comparative analysis of the industrial base of cities and regions.

The census information is often used with other ABS information and data from other sources, including:-
  • Household Expenditure Surveys
  • information on residential and commercial development approvals
  • surveys undertaken by the Consultants (including telephone surveys and in-centre surveys)
  • surveys undertaken by Councils, such as the floorspace, land use and employment survey undertaken by the City of Melbourne
  • information on tourism expenditure and visitation patterns
  • comparative information from previous censuses undertaken by the ABS.