1. Statistical Spatial Framework
Increasing the Relevance
of Statistics
GRAPHC
Ben Searle
September 2012

2. Growing Demand Expectation for information in a geographic context
Google Maps has made ‘location information a commodity’
Spatial technology is also a commodity
Desktop maps, phones, iPads, mobile devices etc
Increasing understanding of the value of applying a location to any information
Demand for information within a spatial context is growing in all areas of the community – governments, companies, researchers and the public. There is an increasing expectation that information will be available from a location based perspective. Demand is growing and spatial technology is getting cheaper to the point of now being a commodity. Think of navigation using mobile phones, in car navigation, WhereIs web sites and many other common applications of spatial technologies.

3. International Need The UN Economic and Social Council says
“The work on global geospatial information management over the past two to three years has confirmed that one of the key challenges is a better integration of geospatial and statistical information as a basis for sound and evidence-based decision-making.”
Secretary-General, UN Economic and Social Council (2012)

4. What is the Spatial Community Doing?
Spatial Data Infrastructure development
Australian Government – APS200 Location
States and Territories
Research Community – CRC SI
Many countries – EU INSPIRE
International – UN Global Geographic Information Management

5. SDI focus on the physical (natural) and built environments.
3D Models

6. Statistical Spatial Framework
Linking the spatial and statistical communities
Spatial
Community
Statistical
Framework
There is already an overlap between these two distinct communities but the links are generally very limited and do not follow a consistent approach. Statisticians have been using geography for some time and the spatial community are beginning to bring statistical information into their activities.
The time is right to provide a consistent approach to linking the spatial community to the statistical world.

7. Statistical Spatial Framework
A statistical framework
will establish another
series of layers on top
of spatial infrastructures
A spatial data infrastructure consists of a number of layers describing the physical environment with some additional ‘man-made’ features such as boundaries. A statistical spatial framework would compliment this with additional ‘layers’ comprising an additional set of boundaries using the ASGS and also layers of significant social, economic and environmental statistics..

8. Statistical Spatial Framework
Providing the statistical equivalent of topography, roads, rivers and boundaries
Providing a social, economic and environmental statistics context ‘layer’
Providing a consistent approach to ‘people-centric decision making and service delivery focussed activities.
Adding value to agencies’ administrative data by enabling linkages through a common spatial framework
Providing a common location based methodology

9. Statistical Spatial Framework
Metadata
Common geographic boundaries
Data management: geo-referenced unit record data
Agreed and authoritative geocoding
Best Practice
Statistical Spatial Framework
Developing interoperability between statistical and spatial metadata
Policies, standards and guidelines, covering: confidentiality and privacy, data quality, analysis, dissemination and visualisation.
Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS)
Geo-reference is a NAMF compliant geocode or ASGS Mesh Block.
National Address Management Framework
Australian Application of SSF
The Statistical Spatial Framework is comprised of four main components and a fifth element that supports the statistical content issues specifically privacy and confidentiality of the statistical information as it is included in the Framework.
The first component is NAMF. This is the national and consistent approach to validating and geocoding addresses. Once geocoded, it is recommended that the geocode is retained with the unit level data within the data management environment. This enables linking of the unit data to any geographic boundary. The third component is the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS). ASGS is a people focused set of geographic boundaries. The forth component is the link between statistical and spatial metadata. This is needed to ensure that the required statistical information for the required geographic area is discoverable and accessible.
The final component consists of a number of policies etc in relation to the statistical or administrative data that may be structured within the Framework. The other components relate to the Framework, this component relates to the data used within the Framework. Issues such as privacy and confidentiality need to be recognised.

10. Statistical Spatial Framework
ABS Governance
And External Linkages
ABS
Statistical Spatial Framework
Steering Committee
National
STSS
Research
Community
International
UN-GGIM
Australian
Government
ASAC
AGSF
ANZLIC
SIBA
CRC SI
APS200
OSP
OGC
Statistical
Spatial
The ABS approach to establishing the Statistical Spatial Framework is based on establishing governance and engagement strategies. Within ABS, a Steering Committee has been established, chaired by a Deputy Statistician and comprising First Assistant and Assistant Statisticians. This committee has now given a mandate to a previously informal community of interest in ABS. Externally, ABS is engaging with the APS200 Locaiton Project and with the Office of Spatial Policy and through existing ABS mechanisms. Nationally, ABS is engaging with ANZLIC and also through the ABS Regional Offices directly to the central agencies within each State and Territory. Internationally, the ABS has joined the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and is working with them on the possible internationalisation of the Framework. Other linkages are being established through the ABS’s involvement in various UN related activities.

11. What Might the SSF Look Like
What Might the SSF Look Like? Experimental Example from DSE Victoria Energy Usage

12. Zoom to council boundary SA 2 view

13. Zoom to SA 1 view

14. Zoom to Meshblock plus time-series popup

15. Land Accounts experimental capability for the Barrier Reef region of Queensland.
Contains a range of statistical data at the Statistical Area 1 (SA!) Level including:
Boundary information, population and business counts
Rateable value and land use
Dynamic land cover
Fire, temperature and rainfall

16. Conclusion
Statistical Spatial Framework offers a common approach to spatially enabling ‘people’ focussed statistical and administration information
Right time, right concept

17. QUESTIONS