Aboriginal economic status by ATSIC regions: analyses of 1986 Census data

Abstract

This paper examines differences in Aboriginal socioeconomic status between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) regions. The administration of programs administered by ATSIC Australia-wide have been largely decentralised into 60 regions under the Commonwealth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Act 1989. This is an exploratory regional analysis of Aboriginal socioeconomic status; it utilises 1986 Census data tabulations by ATSIC regions, which were produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics for the Commission. The methods used include a comparative examination of selected socioeconomic indicators at regional level, as well as a spatial analysis of an Aboriginal socioeconomic status index. The analyses reveal marked regional variations in Aboriginal socioeconomic status. The paper concludes with a discussion of some important implications for policy formulation.of these regional differences. Show more