1. Population Data

2. Areas LGAs – Local Government Areas SLAs – Statistically Local Areas
SA1-4 – Statistical Area Level 1-4
POAs – Postal Areas
SSC – State Suburbs
CED – Commonwealth Electoral Divisions

3. LGAs – Local Government Areas
Local Government Areas cover incorporated areas of Australia. Incorporated areas are legally designated parts of a State or Territory over which incorporated local governing bodies have responsibility. The major areas of Australia not administered by incorporated bodies are the northern parts of South Australia and all of the Australian Capital Territory and the Other Territories. These regions are identified as ‘Unincorporated’ in the ABS Local Government Area structure.

4. SLAs – Statistically Local Areas
The Statistical Local Area (SLA) is an Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) defined area which consists of one or more Collection Districts (CDs). SLAs are Local Government Areas (LGAs), or parts thereof. Where there is no incorporated body of local government, SLAs are defined to cover the unincorporated areas. SLAs cover, in aggregate, the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps.

5. SA1-4 – Statistical Area Level 1-4
Mesh Blocks (MBs) are the smallest geographical area defined by the ABS. They are designed as geographic building blocks rather than as areas for the release of statistics themselves. All statistical areas in the ASGS, both ABS and Non ABS Structures, are built up from Mesh Blocks. As a result the design of Mesh Blocks takes into account many factors including administrative boundaries such as Cadastre, Suburbs and Localities and LGAs as well as land uses and dwelling distribution. Most Mesh Blocks contain 30 to 60 dwellings although some are specifically designed to have zero. This provides an additional level of confidentiality for data released on the ASGS as the difference in data released on multiple statistical areas is always at least one Mesh Block. Mesh Blocks, like other ABS structures, are stable for 5 years and are updated to reflect changes such as new housing developments every 5 years. Mesh Blocks include a Mesh Block Category that broadly defines primary land uses such as Residential and Commercial. The only statistical data currently available for Mesh Blocks (as of 2017) are total population and dwelling counts from the Census of Population and Housing.
Statistical Areas Level 1 (SA1s) are designed to maximise the spatial detail available for Census data. Most SA1s have a population of between 200 to 800 persons with an average population of approximately 400 persons. This is to optimise the balance between spatial detail and the ability to cross classify Census variables without the resulting counts becoming too small for use. SA1s aim to separate out areas with different geographic characteristics within Suburb and Locality boundaries. In rural areas they often combine related Locality boundaries. SA1s are aggregations of Mesh Blocks.
Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2s) are designed to reflect functional areas that represent a community that interacts together socially and economically. They consider Suburb and Locality boundaries to improve the geographic coding of data to these areas and in major urban areas SA2s often reflect one or more related suburbs. The SA2 is the smallest area for the release of many ABS statistics, including the Estimated Resident Population (ERP), Health & Vitals and Building Approvals data. SA2s generally have a population range of 3,000 to 25,000 persons, and have an average population of about 10,000 persons. SA2s are aggregations of whole SA1s.
Statistical Areas Level 3 (SA3s) are designed for the output of regional data. SA3s create a standard framework for the analysis of ABS data at the regional level through clustering groups of SA2s that have similar regional characteristics, administrative boundaries or labour markets. SA3s generally have populations between 30,000 and 130,000 persons. They are often the functional areas of regional towns and cities with a population in excess of 20,000, or clusters of related suburbs around urban commercial and transport hubs within the major urban areas. SA3s are aggregations of whole SA2s.
Statistical Areas Level 4 (SA4s) are specifically designed for the output of Labour Force Survey data and reflect labour markets within each State and Territory within the population limits imposed by the Labour Force Survey sample. Most SA4s have a population above 100,000 persons to provide sufficient sample size for Labour Force estimates. In regional areas, SA4s tend to have lower populations (100,000 to 300,000). In metropolitan areas, the SA4s tend to have larger populations (300,000 to 500,000). SA4s are aggregations of whole SA3s.
State and Territory (S/T) and Australia are spatial units separately representing the geographic extent of Australia, and the States and Territories within Australia. Jervis Bay Territory, the Territories of Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Norfolk Island are included as one spatial unit at the State and Territory level under the category of Other Territories. Prior to 2016 Norfolk Island was not included in the ASGS. In line with Australian Government announced reforms to the governance of Norfolk Island and its inclusion into the definition of Geographic Australia, the 2016 ASGS has been updated to include the Territory of Norfolk Island.

6. POAs – Postal Areas
Postal Areas (POAs) are an ABS approximation of postcodes created to enable the release of ABS data on areas that, as closely as possible, approximate postcodes. This enables the comparison of ABS data with other data collected using postcodes as the geographic reference. Postal Areas are approximated using one or more Mesh Blocks (MBs) from the ASGS. Postal Areas are defined to cover the whole of geographic Australia.
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7. SSC – State Suburbs
State Suburbs (SSC) are an ABS approximation of localities gazetted by the Geographical Place Name authority in each State and Territory. Gazetted Localities are the officially recognised boundaries of suburbs (in cities and larger towns) and localities (outside cities and larger towns). Gazetted Localities cover most of Australia.  by%20Subject/ ~July%202016~Main%20Featur es~State%20Suburbs%20(SSC)~9)

8. CED – Commonwealth Electoral Divisions
Commonwealth Electoral Divisions (CED) are an ABS approximation of Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) electoral division boundaries. An Australian Electoral Commission electoral division boundary is an area legally prescribed for the purpose of returning one member to the House of Representatives, Australia's Federal Lower House of Parliament. Boundaries are based upon the Australian Electoral Commission electoral division boundaries current on Census Night 9 August Commonwealth Electoral Divisions may change as the Australian Electoral Commission revise their boundaries. Where the Australian Electoral Commission revise their boundaries, the Commonwealth Electoral Divisions will be updated on an annual basis in July in conjunction with updates of other Non ABS Structures ~July%202016~Main%20Features~Commonwealth% 20Electoral%20Divisions%20(CED)~12)