Census Data Released On-line
As you seek an understanding of the nature and needs of your community, one excellent resource is the national Census data.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics have recently released the first wave of data from the 2006 Census. To find the data, go to this web site. Once online with the Census data, there are three particular options that are of interest:
QuickStats enables you to view summary data for the area of your choice. Data available includes age, country of birth, language spoken, religious affiliation, family status, income and dwelling/housing characteristics. It’s an excellent overview of some of the key characteristics of the area of interest.
MapStatus allows you to look at particular data presented visually. For example, you could produce a map of the Brisbane area, showing which areas of the city have the highest incidence of residence whose housing cost exceeds 30% of income. There are a wide range of topics for which it it possible to present data visually.
Census Tables allows you to drill down to fine detail on specific topics and for a particular area. For example, you could generate data showing family composition, cross referenced with housing loan repayment, and see comparative data from 1996, 2001 and 2006 census data for a particular geographic area. Again, there is a wide range of data available in quite fine detail, and once again it is possible to define the geographic area covered.
