Dr Nicholas Horne
The 2015–16 Budget provides an extra $234.7 million in
funding for the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) over five years from
2014–15 to ‘enhance the core capacity’ of the ABS; this includes $85.2 million
in capital funding over the period.[1]
ABS systems and infrastructure
The majority of the $234.7 million in extra funding, $219.6
million over 2015–19, is earmarked for a ‘business transformation programme’
involving process and systems change and statistics infrastructure investment,
with the largest component of this ($151.9 million) to be spent in 2016–17.[2]
Just over $11 million of the $234.7 million will be allocated over 2015–19 for the
ongoing production of the input output tables that facilitate the national
accounts.[3]
The Government announced funding for ‘critically urgent
upgrades to [ABS] ICT systems’ in advance of the Budget, and noted that the
‘current ICT infrastructure is highly vulnerable to failure and error... the
ability of ICT staff to maintain the existing systems is becoming increasingly
compromised’.[4] In 2013 the then
Australian Statistician expressed concerns over the ‘wide range of ageing and
fragile business processes and supporting infrastructure used by the ABS’
together with the ABS’ ‘difficult capital position, which is barely adequate to
‘keep the lights on’’.[5] Similar concerns
regarding ABS systems were expressed by then acting Australian Statistician in
2014.[6]
The census
The Government has also confirmed the 2016 national census
(the last census was conducted in 2011), envisaging that ‘more than two-thirds’
of those providing census data are expected to do so online.[7]
Media reporting earlier in 2015 noted a possible move to a 10-year census
together with a focus on greater digital completion.[8]
The media reported criticism of a 10-year census cycle from the Opposition and
research professionals, with leading demographers and other experts arguing
that a 10-year census would constitute a ‘retrograde step’.[9]
Agency resourcing
The 2015–16 Budget increases total ABS resourcing appropriations
from $391.9 million in 2014–15 to $505.4 million in 2015–16; programme costs
for the ABS are expected to rise over 2015–17 due mainly to the 2016 census and
the business transformation programme.[10] The Government also
intends to look to ‘new sources of revenue from sophisticated and commercial
users of data and through better data services’; the Budget estimates revenue
from other sources retained by the ABS under the Public Governance,
Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (Cth), such as amounts offsetting
costs in relation to activities or relating to asset sales, to be $44.2 million
in 2015–16.[11] Average ABS staffing
levels are forecast to increase slightly from 2,580 ASL in 2014–15 to 2,670 ASL
in 2015–16.[12]
[1].
Australian Government, Budget
measures: budget paper no. 2: 2015–16, p. 172.
[2].
Ibid. An additional $36.8 million is to be provided in 2019–20.
[3].
Ibid.
[4].
J Hockey (Treasurer) and K O’Dwyer (Parliamentary Secretary to the
Treasurer), New
investment to modernise the ABS, media release, 7 May 2015, pp. 1–2.
[5].
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Annual
Report 2012–13, cat. no. 1001.0, ABS, Canberra, 2013, p. 2.
[6].
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Annual
Report 2013–14, cat. no. 1001.0, ABS, Canberra, 2014, p. 2.
[7].
J Hockey (Treasurer) and K O’Dwyer (Parliamentary Secretary to the
Treasurer), New investment to modernise the ABS, op. cit.
[8].
D Uren, ‘Seeking
consensus on a smarter approach to census that saves’, The Australian,
19 February 2015; D Uren and J Kelly, ‘ABS
wants census every 10 years’, The Australian, 20 February 2015; S
Wright, ‘National
head count faces five-year delay’, West Australian, 20 February 2015.
[9].
J Kelly, ‘Leaders
reject 10-year census’, The Australian, 10 March 2015; D Uren and J
Kelly, ‘ABS wants census every 10 years’, The Australian, op. cit.
[10].
Australian Government, Portfolio
budget statements 2015–16: budget related paper no. 1.16: Treasury Portfolio,
pp. 69, 73.
[11].
J Hockey (Treasurer) and K O’Dwyer (Parliamentary Secretary to the
Treasurer), New investment to modernise the ABS, op. cit.; Portfolio
budget statements 2015–16: budget related paper no. 1.16: Treasury Portfolio,
op. cit., p. 69.
[12].
Australian Government, Agency
resourcing: budget paper no. 4: 2015–16, p. 139. ASL (Average Staffing
Level) shows full-time equivalent staffing incorporating adjustments for casual
and part-time staff: ibid.
All online articles accessed May 2015.
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