BASE POPULATION
The base population for these projections is the 30 June 2001 Census Collection District (CD) experimental Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population estimates, which are amalgamated into ATSIC regions.
ASSUMPTIONS
Fertility, mortality, internal and overseas migration and unexplained growth assumptions
These projections use the state or territory level fertility, mortality, internal and overseas migration and unexplained growth assumptions described in Experimental Estimates and Projections, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (cat. no. 3238.0). ATSIC regions are ascribed the rates assumed for the state or territory to which they belong.
Inter-regional migration assumption
Assumed net levels of inter-regional migration were derived using census information on Statistical Local Area (SLA) of usual residence five years ago, concorded to ATSIC regions and annualised. Single year of age and sex arrival and departure profiles were derived from census information on SLAs, recoded to yield ATSIC regions. This required defining regions using SLA of best fit. Age and sex-specific arrival and departure rates were then calculated. These inter-regional arrival and departure rates were constrained to net inter-regional flows.
CHRISTMAS ISLAND AND COCOS (KEELING) ISLANDS
Counts from the 2001 Census of Population and Housing include 17 persons usually resident in the Cocos (keeling) and Christmas Islands who had Indigenous origin reported. These persons have been excluded from the estimates and projections presented in this data cube because of the small numbers involved. For this reason, the total of the ATSIC regions population will not add to the total Indigenous population in Australia.