Mining and Utilities Collection

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NAME OF ORGANISATION
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

OVERVIEW
The Mining and Utilities collection is an annual survey which collects information about the operation and financial performance of employing businesses (both management units and establishments) classified to Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) Divisions B and D on the Business Register.

Data are collected from all management units and establishments belonging to ANZSIC subdivisions 11, 12 and 13 as well as classes 3610 and 3620. For ANZSIC subdivisions 14, 15 and 37, in 1999-2000, only management unit information was collected (i.e. no establishment or commodity data were collected). In previous collections, establishment data were collected for ANZSIC groups 141 and 142.

The basis of the collection changed to management units (only) with the 2000-01 cycle. It changed again, commencing with the 2001-02 cycle, as part of the introduction of changes flowing from Tax Reform. In particular, a two population model was introduced, with the Type of Activity Unit (TAU) being the statistical unit in the ABS maintained part of the population frame and the Australian Business Number (ABN) unit being the statistical unit in the Australian Business Register (ABR) part of the population frame (which is maintained by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO)). Non-employers were also added to the scope of the collection commencing with the 2001-02 cycle.

Information is published on the structure, activity and performance of businesses and industries in the Australian economy. Data are presented at both industry and state/territory level for some data items.

PURPOSE
As well as being released in specific mining and utilities publications, data for the mining and utilities industries are incorporated in the annual Economic Activity Survey (EAS), the irregular Environment Protection Expenditure series, as well as other Economic Indicator projects (e.g. Input-Output, Constant Prices, and Australian National and State Accounts).

SCOPE
Scope:
All Type of Activity Units (TAUs) on the ABS Business Register and Australian Business Number (ABN) units on the Australian Business Register coded to Mining (ANZSIC Division B) and Electricity, Gas and Water Supply (ie "utilities") (ANZSIC Division D).

Coverage:
For the reference year, all mining and utilities TAUs/ABNs in operation at 30 June of that year, plus significant units which operated during the financial year but had ceased operations by 30 June.

DATA DETAIL

Conceptual framework
The Mining and Utilities collection is conducted as a component of the ABS's integrated economic statistics system. Data from each industry sector conform to the same basic conceptual standards, allowing comparative analysis between and across different industry sectors.

Mining broadly relates to the extraction of minerals occurring naturally as solids such as coal and ores, liquids such as crude petroleum, or gases such as natural gas, by such processes as underground mining, open-cut extraction methods, quarrying, operation of wells or evaporation pans, dredging or recovering from ore dumps or tailings. Activities such as dressing or beneficiating ores or other minerals by crushing, milling, screening, washing, flotation or other processes (including chemical beneficiation) or briquetting are included, because they are generally carried out at or near mine sites as an integral part of mining operations. Natural gas absorption and purifying plants are also included.

Establishments mainly engaged in refining or smelting of minerals or ores (other than preliminary smelting of gold), or in the manufacturing of such products of mineral origin as coke, cement and fertilisers are excluded. Also excluded from the collection were any establishments with no employees (i.e. sole proprietors). These were omitted because they are not considered to be statistically significant. Typical of these are itinerant and part-time miners, particularly in the gemstone industry and, to a lesser extent, in the copper and tin industries. However, the scope of the collection was extended to include non employers with the 2001-02 cycle, where these units were included on the population frame. This inclusion is especially important for units sourced from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) maintained part of the population frame.

The annual collection of mining operations covers the ANZSIC classes for coal mining, oil and gas extraction and metal ore mining. Until 1995-96, data for Other mining (ANZSIC subdivision 14) were collected on a triennial basis - they are now collected annually. Services to mining (ANZSIC subdivision 15) and Construction material mining (ANZSIC group 141) are now collected annually through a sample survey, although the Services to mining component was deferred for 1998-99 so that remedial work could be carried out on the frame.

The collection of electricity and gas operations covers those units mainly engaged in the generation, transmission or distribution of electricity or the manufacture of town gas from coal and/or petroleum or, the mains distribution of town gas, natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas. Note that units mainly engaged in the distribution of liquefied petroleum gas in bulk or in containers are classified to wholesaling. Water supply, sewerage and drainage services (ANZSIC subdivision 37) are now collected annually through a sample survey, although this collection was also deferred for 1998-99 so that remedial work could be carried out on the frame.

The period covered by the collection is, in general, the twelve months ended 30 June. Where businesses are unable to supply information on this basis, an accounting period which falls between 1 October and 30 September of the reference year is used for data items other than that relating to employment.

Main outputs
For years up to the 1999-2000 cycle, data were available for both establishments and management units (MUs). For/from the 2000-01 cycle, data are no longer available for establishments. For the 2000-01 cycle, data are only available for management units. For/from the 2001-02 cycle, the statistical unit changed to a mixed Type of Activity (TAU) unit for units from the ABS maintained part of the population frame and an Australian Business Number (ABN) unit for units from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) maintained part of the population frame. To a large extent, the TAU/ABN unit would relate to an MU unit.

With this change, the range of data published for 2000-01 more closely resembled the range of management unit data previously published (as detailed below), with corresponding data also included for 1999-2000. With the substantial changes introduced for the 2001-02 cycle, the same range of outputs are expected to be published but will only relate to the 2001-02 year. However, to facilitate comparison over time, a bridging table (ie a summary table publishing 2000-01 data on the same conceptual basis as for 2001-02) will also be published. It is expected that the 2002-03 publications will re-commence the publication of data on a two years time series basis.

The range of data consistently published up to 1999-2000 were:

Mining management units:

Income and expenditure x industry subdivision, Australia
Industry gross product x industry subdivision, Australia
Assets and liabilities x industry subdivision, Australia
Selected performance ratios x industry subdivision, Australia
Employment x industry subdivision, Australia

Income and expenditure x industry class, Australia
Income and expenditure x state/territory x industry subdivision
Fixed capital expenditure x asset type x industry class, Australia
Fixed capital expenditure x asset type x state/territory and industry subdivision
Concentration ratios x industry class, Australia
Mineral royalties x industry class, Australia
Mineral royalties x state/territory x industry subdivision
Employment x industry class, Australia
Employment x state/territory x industry subdivision

Quantity and value x mineral x state/territory

Income and expenditure x industry subdivision, Australia
Industry gross product x industry subdivision, Australia
Assets and liabilities x industry subdivision, Australia
Selected performance ratios x industry subdivision, Australia
Employment x industry subdivision, Australia

Income and expenditure x industry class, Australia
Income and expenditure x state/territory x industry subdivision
Fixed capital expenditure x asset type x industry class, Australia
Fixed capital expenditure x asset type x state/territory and industry subdivision
Concentration ratios x industry class, Australia

Income and expenditure, Australia
Industry gross product, Australia
Assets and liabilities, Australia
Employment, Australia

Classifications

Other concepts (summary)

GEOGRAPHIC DETAIL
1. National & State/Territory\1.01 Australia
1. National & State/Territory\1.03 Selected States or Territories only\1.03.01 New South Wales
1. National & State/Territory\1.03 Selected States or Territories only\1.03.02 Victoria
1. National & State/Territory\1.03 Selected States or Territories only\1.03.03 Queensland
1. National & State/Territory\1.03 Selected States or Territories only\1.03.04 South Australia
1. National & State/Territory\1.03 Selected States or Territories only\1.03.05 Western Australia
1. National & State/Territory\1.03 Selected States or Territories only\1.03.06 Tasmania
1. National & State/Territory\1.03 Selected States or Territories only\1.03.07 Northern Territory

Comments and/or Other Regions
Not applicable

COLLECTION FREQUENCY
Annually

Frequency comments
All ANZSICs within Divisions B (Mining) and D (Electricity, Gas and Water Supply) are in scope of the collection on an annual basis.

COLLECTION HISTORY

(Note: Financial years relate to collection cycle unless otherwise indicated.)

MINING COLLECTION

Milestones

1935	New definitions and procedures covering mines and quarries.
1945	Conference of Statisticians seeks the unification and standardisation of Australian mineral statistics. Recommendation for twice yearly returns from large mining companies.
<1950	Official mineral production statistics considered "very defective because of the widely different methods adopted by several states in collecting, compiling and reporting data".
1952	Statistical Bulletin: Minerals and Metals, Australia released, contains production, overseas trade data obtained from state Mines Departments, BMR and Australian Mines and Metals Association. Mineral consumption data are omitted "owing to the lack of satisfactory official statistics at the present stage". Data from 1939, 1949, 1950 and 1951 collections.
1968-69	Census of Mining becomes one of the first integrated economic collections adopting standard unit rules and classification (ASIC).
April 1990	Mining and Utilities NPC established in the Adelaide office. Collections run out of single office, instead of being run by each state and territory office of ABS.
1995-96	Services to Mining (ANZSIC subdivision 15) added to the collection for the first time (management unit only and sample survey only).
1999-2000	Final year commodity data collected in the Mining collection.
2001-02	Under the Business Statistics Innovation Program (BSIP), Mining becomes part of the Annual Economy Wide Surveys (AEWS) Business Statistics Centre (BSC) located in the NSW office.

Significant events (includes some Milestones above)

1952	First annual mining and quarrying statistics from Australian establishments on a substantially uniform basis. Supplemented statistics on production, overseas trade, and consumption of minerals and metals. Covered employment, wages and salaries, fixed assets, value of output, costs of materials used, etc. Previously collected by some states, but on different basis. Tentative classification of mining and quarrying industry used. Period covered was year ended 31 December. Collection of data in association with State Mines Departments.
1966	Separate Australian totals from the iron ore industry published for the first time. Previously not made available because of the small number of producers.
1968	Last collection on the basis of 31 December year end. Forms only collected from mines and quarries employing four or more people. Data for small mines and quarries was estimated.
1968-69	Mining census changes to year ended 30 June, to conform with other economic censuses. Mining census conducted on an integrated basis with censuses of manufacturing, electricity and gas, retail trade and selected services, and wholesale trade. This increased the usefulness and comparability of the data collected. Census units were defined and identified in consistent ways and recorded in a central register. This also included identifying data about the businesses owning and operating them. A standard industrial classification (ASIC) was used for the first time, and forms used were substantially revised to bring data items to a common basis of definition.
1977-78	ASIC 1978 edition used for collection (replaced the 1968-69 version). This resulted in the inclusion of establishments engaged in iron ore pelletising or agglomerating, or in salt crushing or washing (which had previously been included in manufacturing).
1988-89	Differs from previous censuses, as construction materials and other non-metallic minerals industries were excluded. Complete mining censuses including these industries to be conducted on a triennial basis, with the next scheduled for the 1989-90 financial year.
1989-90	The definition of an establishment was modified. Prior to 1988-89, the establishment covered all operations carried on under the ownership of one enterprise at a single physical location. In 1989-90, the establishment was defined as the smallest accounting unit of an enterprise within a state or territory which controls its productive activities and for which a specified range of detailed data are available (trend was towards a reduction in number of establishments). The statistical treatment of Unincorporated Joint Ventures (UJVs) changed. Previously, these operations were reported by a specially created enterprise in respect of each joint venture despite the fact that they do not exist as legal entities. In accordance with AAS19, the requirement to prepare financial statements rests with each venturer rather than the joint venture. In recognition of this, new establishments were created for each venturer where an appropriate establishment operating in the same industry in the same state did not already exist (this led to an increase in the number of establishments ie the opposite effect to the change in definition of establishment). Construction materials and other non-metallic minerals industries included in the collection.
April 1990	Mining and Utilities NPC established in the Adelaide office. Collections now run out of a single office, instead of being run by each state and territory office of the ABS.
1991-92	The 1993 edition of ANZSIC used to classify management units and establishments, which replaced the ASIC. Use of Queensland State Mines Department commodity data to replace data collected by the ABS at unit record level trialled, with a special collection form which excluded production questions targeted to Queensland units. This trial was not continued, as other states (with the exception of NSW), were not in a position to provide similar data. That is, the need existed to continue the parallel collection of production data, irrespective of the success of the Queensland trial. Construction materials and other non-metallic minerals industries not collected.
1992-93	Construction materials and other non-metallic minerals industries included in the collection.
1993-94	Construction materials and other non-metallic minerals industries not collected.
1994-95	ANZSIC class 1420 (Mining nec) included annually from 1994-95. ANZSIC group 141 (Construction material mining) (not collected in 1994-95) next to be collected 1995-96.
1995-96	ANZSIC subdivision 15 (Services to Mining) added to collection framework for the first time (collected at management unit level only and sampled). To be collected annually on this basis in future. All of ANZSIC subdivision 14 (Other mining) included. ANZSIC group 141 (Construction material mining) collected using a sample survey (for the first time), ANZSIC class 1420 (Mining nec) collected as a census. To be collected on this basis annually in future.
1996-97	Mining production data published based exclusively on ABS data collected via the mining and utilities collection for the first time. The decision was taken to dispense with the State Mines Departments' data as the quality was not appropriate. This reduced the data available to be published – to Australian level only and a reduced range of minerals (metallic minerals, coal oil and gas), but ensured consistency and comparability of data.
1998-99	Collection of Services to mining (subdivision 15) deferred due to problems with the frame and data were collected via the annual Economic Activity Survey (conducted from Central Office).
1999-2000	Final year mining commodity data collected by the ABS. In future, the only commodity data published are to be that sourced from the various State Mines Departments. Decision taken after meeting of Mining User Advisory Group 1999. Last year establishment data collected.
2000-01	Management unit only collection. Establishments' data no longer collected. Final collection conducted out of the Adelaide office. With the cessation of establishment data, state data for mining produced for only 4 variables (employment, wages and salaries, sales and service income, and industry value added (IVA)) using a methodological model at aggregate level (for ANZSIC subdivisions 11 to 14 combined).
2001-02	Under BSIP, Mining and Utilities becomes part of the AEWS BSC located in the NSW office. Also, change in methodology and collection unit. Non employers in scope for the first time. ABN and TAU units of collection instead of MU. Business Income Tax data from the ATO used for the first time to supplement direct collection by the ABS, for units ‘below the line’. Black coal mining (ANZSIC class 1101), gold ore mining (ANZSIC class 1314) and Other mining nec (ANZSIC group 142) sampled for the first time.

NOTE: Reference has been made to mineral production/commodity data collected from the various State Mines Departments. Although this information was made available to, and used by, the Mining NPC, it was not actually part of the annual mining collection (which asked for commodity details separately on their forms up to 1999-2000). Therefore, more detail on the state mines' mineral production data have not been included.

UTILITIES COLLECTION

Milestones

1968-69	Census of Electricity and Gas Operations became a separate collection under the framework of the Integrated Economic Collections. Previously, it had been included in the manufacturing census. The scope was also extended to cover distribution as well as production.
April 1990	Mining and Utilities NPC established in the Adelaide office. Collections run out of single office, instead of being run by each state and territory office of the ABS.
1995-96	Water supply, sewerage and drainage services (ANZSIC subdivision 37) added to collection framework for the first time (sample survey only). Previously, this had been collected in the Economic Activity Survey and included in the total for electricity, gas and water supply published in Business Operations and Industry Performance, Australia (8140.0).
2001-02	Under BSIP, utilities (electricity, gas, and water and sewerage) becomes part of the AEWS BSC located in the NSW office.

Significant events (includes milestones above)

1968-69	Census of Electricity and Gas Operations became a separate collection under the framework of the Integrated Economic Collections. Previously, it had been included in the manufacturing census. The scope was also extended to cover distribution as well as production.
1969-70	For electricity and gas, the establishment definition becomes slightly different to other industries. Instead of the establishment being equal to a single location, for the electricity and gas industry, the establishment consists of all locations, including administrative offices and ancillary units, mainly concerned with the production and/or distribution of electricity or gas, operated by particular undertakings within a state/territory.
1970-71	Not conducted.
1971-72	Census conducted and becomes quinquennial.
1974-75 & 1977-78	Census conducted.
1979-80	Census conducted and becomes annual again from this point on. Decision made to include locations of public sector electricity and gas enterprises undertaking construction activity on their own account as ancillary units within electricity and gas and, therefore, to be included in the statistics. Previously, most such locations were classified to the construction industry. Statistics were revised to provide comparable time series for 1968-69, 1969-70, 1971-72, 1974-75 and 1977-78.
1985-86	Census not conducted for budget reasons.
1987-88 and 1988-89	Survey of Electricity and Gas operations only.
1989-90	Return to census basis.
April 1990	Mining and Utilities NPC established in the Adelaide office. Collections run out of single office, instead of being run by each state and territory office of the ABS.
1991-92	The 1993 edition of ANZSIC used to classify management units and establishments, which replaced the ASIC.
1995-96	Water supply, sewerage and drainage services (ANZSIC subdivision 37) added to collection framework for the first time (sample survey only). Previously, this had been collected in the Economic Activity Survey and included in the total for electricity, gas and water supply published in Business Operations and Industry Performance, Australia (8140.0).
1998-99	Water supply, sewerage and drainage services (subdivision 37) deferred due to problems with the frame and was collected via the annual Economic Activity Survey (conducted from Central Office).
1999-2000	Water supply, sewerage and drainage services (subdivision 37) returned to the population. This was the final cycle that commodity data were collected for electricity and gas. Final cycle for the collection of data on an establishments basis.
2000-01	Management unit only collection. Establishments no longer collected. Final collection conducted out of the Adelaide office.
2001-02	Under BSIP, utilities (electricity, gas, and water and sewerage) becomes part of the AEWS BSC located in the NSW office. Also, changes in methodology, frames and collection unit occurred. Non employers included in the population frame are in scope for the first time. ABN and TAU units of collection instead of MU. Two tiered frame - ABS maintained for 'complex' units and Australian Business Registered for 'simple' units. Business Income Tax (BIT) data from the ATO used for the first time to supplement direct collection by the ABS, for units ‘below the line’.

NOTE: Throughout the 1990s, there were significant industry reforms in the utilities sector, which had an impact on the data being produced. The 1997-98 edition of Electricity, Gas, Water and Sewerage Industries, Australia (8208.0) contains an article on industry reforms during this period.

DATA AVAILABILITY
Yes

Data availability comments
The publication Mining Operations, Australia (ABS Cat. No. 8415.0) is targeted for release at the end of August (14 months after the end of the reference period). The publication Electricity, Gas, Water and Sewerage Operations, Australia (ABS Cat. No. 8226.0) is also released at the end of August.

A preliminary publication Mining, Electricity and Gas Operations, Australia, Preliminary (ABS Cat. No. 8401.0 ) was previously published (to 1999-2000) and biennial compendium publications Australian Mining Industry (ABS Cat. No. 8414.0) and Electricity, Gas, Water and Sewerage Industries, Australia (ABS Cat. No. 8208.0) and the standard publications were produced in alternate years. Articles previously published in compendium publications will be produced progressively on the ABS web site. Electronic versions of earlier compendium publications will still be available (8414.080.001 and 8208.0.80.001).

All of these publications are released annually.

DATE OF LAST UPDATE FOR THIS DOCUMENT
13/11/2003 04:36 PM