New Australian Bureau of Statistics boundaries rely on G-NAF
PSMA Australia’s leading-edge spatial dataset, G-NAF, is being used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to assist with data analysis, when designing the new Mesh Block boundaries.
Mesh Blocks are the ABS’s new micro level breakdown of geographic boundaries. They are small areas of about 30-60 dwellings, designed specifically for statistical data dissemination. Mesh Blocks will enable accurate time series analysis of the statistical data.
To link Mesh Block information to Census data, the ABS has built a sophisticated geocoding engine using PSMA Australia’s G-NAF.
The award-winning Geocoded National Address File (G-NAF) is Australia’s first authoritative geocoded address index for the whole country, listing all valid physical addresses in Australia.
The ABS has just released the first cut of the new boundaries, which comprises approximately 300 000 Mesh Blocks covering all of Australia.
Mesh Blocks align with linear features from PSMA Australia’s other national spatial datasets such as road centrelines, cadastral boundaries and hydrography.
Given PSMA Australia’s important role in providing mapping data and the increased reliance on the PSMA Australia datasets to deliver key strategic outcomes for the ABS, PSMA Australia will assist in developing a mechanism to maintain the alignment of Mesh Blocks to underlying topographic features.
A solution will be jointly developed, to ensure continued vertical alignment of features that make up Mesh Blocks, allowing details to be realigned each time PSMA Australia releases quarterly updates to its datasets.
More about G-NAF and PSMA Australia is at www.psma.com.au
More information about Mesh Blocks and the ABS is available at www.abs.gov.au