Remoteness classification (ASGS-RA) N

Guide for use:

CODE 1 Major cities of Australia

'Major cities of Australia' includes Statistical Area Level 1s (SA1s) with an average Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA+) index value of 0 to 0.2.

CODE 2 Inner regional Australia

'Inner regional Australia' includes SA1s with an average ARIA+ index value greater than 0.2 and less than or equal to 2.4.

CODE 3 Outer regional Australia

'Outer regional Australia' includes SA1s with an average ARIA+ index value greater than 2.4 and less than or equal to 5.92.

CODE 4 Remote Australia

'Remote Australia' includes SA1s with an average ARIA+ index value greater than 5.92 and less than or equal to 10.53.

CODE 5 Very remote Australia

'Very remote Australia' includes SA1s with an average ARIA+ index value greater than 10.53.

CODE 6 Migratory

'Migratory' is composed of off-shore, shipping and migratory SA1s.

Context:

Geographic remoteness is essentially a measure of a physical location's level of access to goods and services. Large population centres tend to have a greater range of goods and services available than small centres. Typically, a population centre is not likely to provide a full range of goods and services until its population reaches around 250,000 people.

The measures of remoteness used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) are based on population estimates obtained from the Census of Population and Housing, conducted every 5 years. Remoteness measures are calculated using Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA+) scores, which are based on the distance of geographic locations from the nearest population centre in various size ranges. The lower the ARIA+ score for a location, the better its level of access to goods and services.

Information in relation to how remoteness is defined and calculated is available from the Geography portal on the ABS website.

Information in relation to how ARIA+ scores are calculated for physical locations is available from the Australian Population and Migration Research Centre (APMRC) website.

Origin:

Publications detailing the ASGS remoteness classification are available free of charge from the ABS website:

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013. 1270.055.005 - Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS): Volume 5 - Remoteness Structure, July 2011. Viewed 15 July 2013,
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/
1270.0.55.005July%202011?OpenDocument

Comments:

In its initial form, as developed by the National Centre for Social Applications of Geographic Information Centres (now located within the Australian Population and Migration Research Centre) and the then Department of Health and Aged Care in 1999, ARIA scores ranged from 0 to 12 and were based on proximity to 4 points of reference.

A new version, ARIA+, was introduced in 2003, with ARIA+ scores now based on proximity to 5 points of reference. Also, changes were made to account for Tasmania's unique status as an island state, and to increase accuracy for locations at the urban fringe.

Prior to 2011, ARIA+ scores were calculated for individual Census Collection Districts (CCDs). Following the phasing out of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) and the introduction of the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) by the ABS in 2011, ARIA+ scores are now calculated for individual Statistical Area Level 1s (SA1s).