Table of Contents
In 2002, the ABS conducted the second national social survey of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, the NATSISS. The first national survey was conducted by the ABS in 1994 as part of the Australian Government’s response to the 1987–1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. The Royal Commission had brought to light the urgent need for more and better data about the social circumstances of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and had recommended a special national survey to cover a range of social, demographic, health and economic topics (recommendation 49).
The 2002 NATSISS was conducted and funded by the ABS as part of its ongoing household surveys program, whereas the 1994 survey was funded by a $4 million Commonwealth grant as a direct response to the Royal Commission (ABS 2004c). In 2000, the ABS established the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey as an ongoing six-yearly survey that comprised one element in a much broader Indigenous statistics strategy. Other elements in this strategy include:
a six-yearly national survey of the health of Indigenous people
continued improvements to the enumeration of Indigenous people in the population census
further work to improve the identification of Indigenous people in administrative collections, and
further improvements to population estimates and projections.
At the time of writing, the 2004–05 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, which had a sample size similar to that of the 2002 NATSISS, has already been enumerated and first results are due to be released early in 2006.
Cultural considerations, the geographical location of Indigenous people and policy requirements influence the statistical activity of the ABS with regard to Australia’s Indigenous population. Some of the developments in statistical activity over the past 10 years include:
improvements in the quality,analysis and availabilityof information about Indigenous people from the five-yearly population census
implementation of a regular cycle of household surveys of the Indigenous population, alternating every three years between a survey of social circumstances and a health survey
the Community Housing and Infrastructure Needs Survey, funded by the Australian Government Department of Family and Community Services, which is now conducted in conjunction with preparations for the five-yearly population census
progressive implementation of consistent standards of Indigenous identification in administrative data sets
production (with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) of the biennial report The Health and Welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (ABS cat. no. 4704.0), and
improved quality and availability of Indigenous population estimates and projections.
As part of its survey activity, ABS undertakes extensive consultation with government agencies, Indigenous people, Indigenous organisations and researchers. This takes the form of bilateral agency consultations, survey reference groups, direct community consultations and topic-focused working groups. In addition, the ABS is currently implementing an initiative to increase its engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Under its Indigenous Community Engagement Strategy, ABS has recruited State/Territory-based Indigenous engagement managers to provide an ongoing communication channel with discrete communities, community groupsand organisations. Indigenous engagement managers will take a leadership role with Indigenousenumeration in the census and relevant ABS surveys. They are also undertaking dissemination and training activities, such as returning information to communities and Indigenous organisations in their preferred format and in ways that support the use of statistics for their own purposes.