Presentation to the UN Experts Group Meeting

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GIS BASED CENSUS MAPPING APPROACHES - AUSTRALIA
EXPERIENCE
Presentation to the UN Experts Group
Meeting UNSD 29 May - 1 June 2007 Alister
Nairn Director - Geography Section
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Introduction

• Paper focuses on how GIS technologies have been
  utilized for CD design and map production for the
  2006 census in Australia

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Census of Population and Housing

• 5 yearly -2006 Census on 8 August 06
• Census based on delivery and collection of census
  forms - 8.5 million forms hand delivered
• 38,704 CDs, 25,000 field staff to collect, 800
  staff to process
• First results published in June 2007
• Pressure to increase efficiencies
• Mapping is an integral part of the collection
  methodology

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Collection Districts Basis for Enumeration
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An Urban CD Map
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A Rural CD Map (section)
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The Collector Record Book
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Spatial Data Requirements The Ideal

• An accurate up to date digital map base showing
  correct level of detail.
• Roads, water bodies and rivers, transport, parks
• Administrative boundaries suburbs, LGAs
  electoral divisions, state boundaries
• Cadastral property boundaries
• Location of residential dwellings (addresses)
• Up to date large scale imagery

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Data Sources
Without accurate digital base data GIS
efficiencies are not possible

• Sources
• Federal and State mapping agencies
• Private sources

ABS strategy was to get the mapping agencies to
cooperate A consortium of of Federal and State
mapping agencies PSMA Australia (Public Sector
Mapping Agencies)
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Technology

• GIS system for editing, analysis, mapping
• Used MapInfo, MapBasic
• Cartographic Enhancement
• Maplex from ESRI
• Database storage, retrieval of information
• Oracle
• Conversion / QA software
• SAFE FME

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Geography Section - Staffing

• Provides a centralised centre of expertise for
  Geography within the ABS
• 25 staff, most with a university degree and/or
  GIS experience
• Maintain geographic classification
• Provide GIS services to rest of the organisation
  (Census is the largest client)
• Maintain spatial database, evaluate and implement
  new spatial technologies.

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Census Mapping Project Process Design
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Phase 1 - CD Alignment

• Red line is the old CD boundary Black the new
• GIS tools developed to speed up the editing
  process for multiple points work not done by
  GIS experts
• 10 staff person years of effort in this editing
  to bring 2001 CDs into alignment with 2006 base
  mapping.

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Phase 2 CD Design

• Reviewing the 2001 CDs and redesigning in areas
  of change (growth or decline in population)
• Change estimated number of households by various
  means
• Address points
• Cadastral parcels
• Information from local government
• Eg GIS SQL query against cadastral parcels in
  2001 versus 2006

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SQL query on Spatial Database
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Spatial Editing of CDs
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Updating CD Attributes
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Phase 3 Map Production

• A large logistical operation
• High quality maps increase efficiency of the
  census collection phase
• 69,548 A3 maps
• 7,840 A2 maps
• 5,818 inset maps
• 6,678 Area Supervisor maps
• 102 District Managers maps

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Conclusions

• Development of GIS capabilities has contributed
  to more efficient Censuses by
• Use of GIS to assist in CD design
• Produce excellent maps to aid the collection
  process
• Producing quality statistical geography for
  analysis and dissemination

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Conclusions

• BUT
• GIS will only save costs if there is a reliable
  source of suitable data and a core section of
  people with well developed technical skills.
• These data resources can require some
  institutional development over an extended
  period.

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THANK YOU