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Australian Statistical Geography Standard 2016

Identifying and definitional attributes

Metadata item type:Help on this termClassification Scheme
Synonymous names:Help on this termASGS 2016
METEOR identifier:Help on this term659352
Registration status:Help on this term
  • Children and Families, Standard 20/01/2021
  • Commonwealth Department of Social Services (retired), Standard 20/06/2018
  • Early Childhood, Standard 24/07/2018
  • Health, Superseded 20/10/2021
  • Housing assistance, Standard 10/05/2019
  • Tasmanian Health, Standard 27/06/2017
Definition:Help on this term

The Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) is the geographical framework defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for disseminating geographically classified statistics.

Context:Help on this term

The ASGS provides a common framework of statistical geography that enables the publication of statistics that are comparable and geospatially integrated. It provides users with a coherent set of standard regions so that they can access, visualise, analyse and understand statistics.

Classification structure:Help on this term

The ASGS is a hierarchical framework of regions. Its classification structures are split into two broad groups, the ABS Structures and the Non-ABS Structures.

The ABS Structures are hierarchies of regions defined and maintained by the ABS. The regions that comprise the ABS Structures will remain unchanged until the next anticipated edition of the ASGS in 2021, which is timed for use in the next anticipated Census of Population and Housing in 2021.

The ABS Structures are built directly from mesh blocks. Non-ABS Structures are approximated by either Mesh Blocks, the Statistical Areas Level 1 (SA1), or the Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2).

The ABS Structures comprise six interrelated hierarchies of regions. They are:

  • Main Structure
  • Indigenous Structure
  • Urban Centres and Localities/Section of State Structure
  • Remoteness Structure
  • Greater Capital City Statistical Area (GCCSA) Structure
  • Significant Urban Area Structure.

The Non ABS Structures comprise eight hierarchies of regions which are not defined or maintained by the ABS, but for which the ABS is committed to providing a range of statistics. They generally represent administrative regions and are approximated by Mesh Blocks, SA1s or SA2s. They are:

  • Local Government Areas (LGAs)
  • Postal Areas
  • State Suburbs
  • Commonwealth Electoral Divisions
  • State Electoral Divisions
  • Australian Drainage Divisions
  • Natural Resource Management Regions
  • Tourism Regions.

Source and reference attributes

Submitting organisation:Help on this term

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Origin:Help on this term

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016. Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS): Volume 1 - Main Structure and Greater Capital City Statistical Areas July 2016. ABS cat. no. 1270.0.55.001. Canberra: ABS.

Revision status:Help on this term

The 2016 ASGS is the second edition of the ASGS, which updates the first edition (introduced in 2011) for growth and change in Australia's population, economy and infrastructure. It also incorporates the Territory of Norfolk Island for the first time.

Relational attributes

Related metadata references:Help on this term
Supersedes Australian Statistical Geography Standard 2011
  • ACT Health (retired), Candidate 09/08/2018
  • Children and Families, Superseded 20/01/2021
  • Commonwealth Department of Health, Standard 16/10/2015
  • Community Services (retired), Standard 06/12/2011
  • Disability, Standard 13/08/2015
  • Early Childhood, Superseded 24/07/2018
  • Health, Superseded 06/12/2016
  • Independent Hospital Pricing Authority, Standard 01/11/2012
  • Tasmanian Health, Superseded 27/06/2017
Has been superseded by Australian Statistical Geography Standard Edition 3
  • Health, Standard 20/10/2021
Value Domains based on this classification scheme:Help on this term

Statistical area level 2 (SA2) code (ASGS 2016) N(9)

  • ACT Health (retired), Candidate 19/07/2018
  • Children and Families, Standard 20/01/2021
  • Early Childhood, Standard 24/07/2018
  • Health, Superseded 20/10/2021
  • Tasmanian Health, Standard 27/06/2017

Statistical area level 1 (SA1) code (ASGS 2016) N(11)

  • Commonwealth Department of Social Services (retired), Not progressed 15/04/2019
  • Early Childhood, Standard 24/07/2018
  • Health, Superseded 20/10/2021

Remoteness classification (ASGS-RA) N

  • Health, Standard 06/09/2018
  • Housing assistance, Standard 10/05/2019

Admitted patient care remoteness classification (ASGS-RA) N

  • Health, Standard 06/09/2018

Statistical area level 3 (SA3) code (ASGS 2016) N(5)

  • Tasmanian Health, Standard 30/04/2021

Local Government Area (LGA) code (ASGS 2016) N(5)

  • Tasmanian Health, Standard 04/05/2021

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