NZ: Larger houses for smaller households
17th Century author Abraham Cowley wrote:
Perth Metropolitan LGA reform – demographic data towards 1 July 2015
In October, the State Government of Western Australia announced final reformed boundaries for metropolitan Perth (with a couple of exceptions), and Perth councils are now working towards implementing these...
Health services in rural Australia
Many rural areas of Australia have been experiencing a decline in population. This is not a new phenomenon, some areas have been declining since the late 19th – early 20th century. What has put a twist on this...
100 years of population change in Tasmania
One of my favourite releases (OK there are many) from the ABS is the historical series of population data. After a bit of a hiatus the ABS released an updated series during 2014. This release contains a wealth...
How are Australia’s largest migrant groups celebrating Christmas?
I love Christmas, it’s my favourite time of year. I like the food, the tree, the carols and getting to spend time with my family. A couple of years ago, Rebecca wrote a fantastic blog on the number of people...
A win for diversity in Prahran
The last remaining seat in the recent Victorian State election has finally been decided, almost two weeks after polling day. The lower house seat of Prahran in the inner south-east of Melbourne has been claimed...
Atlas.id in New Zealand
Sometimes you need to get up really close and personal … with your community. Standing too far back can hide the special characteristics of a neighbourhood.
Modelling future disability service demand in Wyndham
One of the most common questions we are asked at training sessions is “Do you have any information on disability?”. There is some information in the Census, on Need For Assistance, but it’s fairly basic, just a...
Perception vs statistics: Emotional innumeracy
Recently, a friend shared with me an Ipsos MORI quiz via the Guardian website, titled ‘how well do you know Australia’ . It asks a series of questions about the Australian population. Despite working in this...
How dense is high density?
The bare mention of the word “density” in relation to how Australian cities are changing is inevitably provocative. After all, the post war period of suburban development has been characterised by low density...
People: The new drivers of economic growth
GDP has grown steadily over decades, despite some economic shocks, and wages, employment and productivity have generally performed well. In the decade leading up to 2013 the size of the economy has grown at...
Land zoning: How does Australia compare to Japan and North America?
I recently read a thought-provoking article comparing land zoning in Japan with North America. Two significantly different approaches to zoning; Japan with a very limited palette of zones stipulated by the...
How is spatial analysis related to diseases? The story of John Snow
Over the past few weeks the news has been filled with awful stories of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. I came across this excellent map of the spatial patterns of the outbreak.
Is your council “Fit for the future”?
“Fit for the future” is the New South Wales Government’s new campaign to ensure financially and socially sustainable councils and progress the local government reform process in that state. It includes the...
Looking at your area from a demographic perspective: Mid Murray
Maybe I’m showing my age, but a recent trip to Mid-Murray Council reminded me of the old TV series F Troop. In the TV series, to get to Fort Courage, you had to turn left at the rock that looks like a bear, and...
Birth numbers remain high
The ABS has recently released its annual data on births in Australia, which contains detailed information on just about every aspect of fertility – number of births, rates, age specific rates, median age of...
Electricity still the leading choice for home heating in New Zealand
I’m not one of those “stoic kiwis” who happily skips through freezing winters in a cold house. I grumble and moan through the cold months, mummified in multiple layers of clothing, promising myself tropical...
How prevalent is autism in Australia?
I recently began my PhD in the area of special education and have specifically been focusing on autism. I thought the results from the 2012 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) released earlier this...
Travel to work trends – buses still not sexy enough?
There’s not a council in New Zealand (or Australia for that matter) not actively encouraging people to make healthy, safe, environmentally sustainable transport choices whether it is through engineering,...
Businesses use demographics to reduce loan repayments
Businesses are increasingly using demographics to help them find new customers, obtain business finance more readily and reduce their business costs. Have a look at this video put together by the Sunshine Coast...
