Measuring Indigenous economic activity in six remote NT communities

Professor William MitchellCentre of Full Employment and Equity

Charles Darwin University and University of Newcastle

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Aim of Project

The purpose of this research Project is to develop a set of indicators that measure Indigenous economic activity in six target communities:- Ntaria- Ramingining- Angurugu- Umbakumba- Milyakburra- Tiwi Islands

The six study regions

MILYAKBURRATIWI ISLANDS

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Project design … literature

Literature review on issues relating to regional development and measurement of economic activity in remote indigenous communities.

Conceptual issues. Frameworks.

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Project design … profiling the study areas

Literature review on issues relating to regional development in remote indigenous communities.

Detailed statistical profiles of the six target communities – with comparative analysis between 2006 and 2011 Censuses.

Experimental benchmarking against selected comparable regions in Australia.

Detailed analysis of Australian Tax Office data from 2001-02 to 2010-11 by postcode to profile income and related information.

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Project design … modelling

Develop a broad economic framework (input-output) for assessing regional development in remote Northern Territory communities.- Estimates of economic activity including measures of

community regional product.- Integrate NTG Department of Business Job Profiles into

hybrid IO model (Key Sector analysis).- Conduct interviews with local engagement officers

(Strengthen the Key Sector analysis).- Measures of labour demand shortages (CDEP Case Study).

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Project design … data inventory

Provide a detailed inventory of existing relevant data sources within existing Northern Territory Government agencies and apply that data, where possible to the development of the economic profiles.

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Project design … additional indicators

CofFEE Economic Prosperity Index and Employment Vulnerability Index:- Attempt to fine tune these to provide synthetic estimates for

the six case study regions CofFEE Functional Economic Regions (CFERs):

- The CFERs for the Northern Territory will be updated using 2011 Census Journey to Work data and new spatial datasets constructed based on the new geography.

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Census data profiles

Demographic and economic profiles are available from the 2011 Australian Bureau of Statistics Census of Population and Housing (collected August).

Available Labour Force data for indigenous and non-indigenous includes:- Employment – full-time, part-time, total- Unemployment- Not in Labour Force

Can be broken down into public/private The Labour Force data is enumerated by persons.

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NT Department of Business Job Profiles

Data collected June-July 2011. Data reflects those businesses reported as operating in

the town at the time of data collection. Data is based on jobs rather than the Census focus on

persons. Why would they be different?

- Multiple job holders.- Job sharing.

Indigenous status assigned by “business representative”.

The six study regions

MILYAKBURRATIWI ISLANDS

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Data issues - Ntari

The six study regions

MILYAKBURRATIWI ISLANDS

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Data issues - Ramingining

The six study regions

MILYAKBURRATIWI ISLANDS

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Data issues - Umbakumba

The six study regions

MILYAKBURRATIWI ISLANDS

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Data issues - Angurugu

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Progress …

Literature survey nearly complete. Detailed profiles nearly complete. Delay in establishing contact with relevant officers in

each community – Federal employees. We are awaiting permission.

Ethics clearance cannot be completed until we have names of relevant people to interview.

Development of modelling framework – technical work done – now experimenting with Job Profile information to modify “top-down” IO data to create hybrid approach.

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Prognosis …

The data difficulties are substantial – especially with no Job Profile data for the Tiwi Islands and Milyakburra.

It is unclear whether we will get permission to work with the community contact officers.

There is considerable uncertainty about the Census data. The Project will deliver a guide to what steps should be

taken in the future to ensure that the aims of the Project – to develop a set of indicators that measure indigenous economic activity in six target communities – is possible.

http://e1.newcastle.edu.au/coffeeCentre of Full Employment and Equity

END OF TALK