Inter-jurisdictional group comprising officials from Commonwealth, state and territory transport and infrastructure agencies.
Name of your organisation (if applicable)
Organisation
Australian Transportation Data Action Network (ATDAN)
Please list any other organisations you have collaborated with on this submission.
Who you have consulted with
• Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics
• Australian Bureau of Statistics
• National Transport Commission
• Transport for NSW
• Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Victoria
• Transport for Victoria
• Department of Transport, Western Australia
• Department of Main Roads, Western Australia
• Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland
• Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, South Australia
• Department of State Growth, Tasmania
• Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, Northern Territory
• Transport Canberra and City Services Directorate, Australian Capital Territory
• National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
• Australian Local Government Association
What is your submission about?
Please provide a brief summary of your submission
Topic name
Retention of Motor Vehicles garaged Topic
It is recommended to keep existing topic “Number of Motor Vehicles” (2016 Census Question 54) at the dwelling on Census night (VEHD). It is suggested that the question be retained, preferably on a 5-yearly Census cycle. A 10-yearly Census cycle would be acceptable to some State Transport Authorities (STAs) if it had to be alternated with a proposed new question on mode or Method of Travel to Education (MTEP) to be used in conjunction with potential modification of another topic to derive Place of Education (POEP).
Choose your area of interest
Please select one item
(Required)
Population
Sex and gender
Households and families
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Income and work
Unpaid work and care
Education and training
Disability and carers
Housing
Location
Ticked
Transport
Cultural diversity
Religion
Other topic
Topics on Transport
Choose one or more of the following topics that relates to your submission
Please select all that apply
Mode of travel to work
Name and address of workplace attended
Ticked
Number of motor vehicles
Other/unknown
Assessment Criteria 1
1.
This topic is of current national importance.
National Importance
Data is needed on the Number of Motor Vehicles (VEHD) at a dwelling as part of information available for transport infrastructure, service and resource planning and investment.
Understanding how the built environment and demographic factors relate to and can influence vehicle ownership and dependency helps inform planning and investment decision making. Also, the presence or absence of motor vehicles at dwellings is critical information when assessing unmet transport need. The Census provides the links between dwelling vehicle availability with other socio-economic characteristics included in the Census.
The Census data on number of motor vehicles at a dwelling is used as an input to development of most, if not all, strategic transport models developed and used by State Transport Authorities and a number of local governments. In particular this data is an important input to development and calibration of household vehicle availability/ ownership sub-models which in turn provide part of the input to mode choice sub-models. Any loss of this data will reduce accuracy of and confidence in strategic transport models and make the job of planning transport infrastructure and services by all tiers of government, to address congestion and travel demand and efficiency issues, more difficult.
Wide deployment of fully automated vehicles may be 10 years or so off however, the emergence of automated vehicles and on demand transport may affect VEHD and justify the need to continue collecting VEHD data on a 5-yearly Census cycle.
Assessment Criteria 2
2.
There is a need for data from a Census of the whole population.
For whole population
The Census data on number of motor vehicles at a dwelling is used as an input to development of most, if not all, strategic transport models developed and used by State Transport Authorities and a number of local governments. In particular this data is an important input to development and calibration of household vehicle availability/ownership sub-models which in turn provide part of the input to mode choice sub-models. Any loss of this data will reduce accuracy of and confidence in strategic transport models and make the job of planning transport infrastructure and services by all tiers of government, to address congestion and travel demand and efficiency issues, more difficult.
Household travel surveys conducted by STAs usually collect data on number of motor vehicles linked to other demographic characteristics. However, data collected from these are not at the level of spatial detail that the Census would be able to provide.
The data requirements for VEHD could not be met by data from the Motor Vehicle Census alone as it is not available at a sufficiently fine level of spatial detail (i.e. SA1).
Using administrative STA motor vehicle registration data was also explored however the data is not linked to demographic characteristics. This linkage is needed for understanding behaviour patterns in strategic transport models and strategic policy analysis on automated and on demand service changes to vehicle ownership across the population. The data also has potentially significant limitations in accuracy of address information for example where postal addresses are provided.
More spatially detailed information is needed on which to develop, calibrate and validate more detailed transport analyses and models. These models are applied to small area demographic projections to estimate future travel demand and travel patterns.
Assessment Criteria 3
3.
The topic can be accurately collected in a form which the household completes themselves.
Easy to answer
This is an existing topic that has a simple question that is easily understood, uses a small amount of survey form real estate and quick to answer.
Assessment Criteria 4
4.
The topic would be acceptable to Census respondents.
Acceptable
This is an existing topic that respondents have been willing and able to answer.
Assessment Criteria 5
5.
The topic can be collected efficiently.
Collected efficiently
This is an existing topic that requires just one question, simply processed and doesn’t require any change to instructions or explanations.
Assessment Criteria 6
6.
There is likely to be a continuing need for data on this topic in the following Census.
Continuing need
There will be a continuing need for data on the topic in subsequent Censuses to assist in evidence based transport planning and modelling, and policy development.
Some ATDAN members (STAs in New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland) are open to the possibility of alternating the Method of Travel to Education and Number of Motor Vehicles topics every second Census (10-yearly cycle) if form space or respondent burden is an issue. However, some ATDAN members (Western Australia STAs and BITRE) require VEHD to remain in every Census (particularly 2021), if inclusion of a new topic leads to exclusion of existing transport related variables.
Assessment Criteria 7
7.
There are no other alternative data sources or solutions that could meet the topic need.
No alternatives
Household travel surveys conducted by STAs usually collect data on number of motor vehicles linked to other demographic characteristics. However, data collected from these are not at the level of spatial detail that the Census would be able to provide.
The data requirements for VEHD could not be met by data from the Motor Vehicle Census alone as it is not available at a sufficiently fine level of spatial detail (i.e. SA1).
The number of vehicles by dwelling could potentially be derived from vehicle registrations data. However, by itself, a shortcoming of using this alternative source is that it would be missing socio-economic characteristics of the dwelling occupants that would be required for some transport planning purposes.
A possible alternative approach to developing Census data on Number of Motor Vehicles (VEHD) at a dwelling may be for the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to receive a snapshot of vehicle registration data from each State representative of the vehicles on register at Census time. Ideally the data would include vehicle registration address and additional information to assist in identifying residential and/or garaging addresses. The ABS could then link the vehicle address information to Census night dwelling address data from Census Question 1 “What is the address of this dwelling?”
Any further comments?
If you would like to tell us anything else about your submission, please comment below.
Further comments
STA first preference for alterations to Census content is as follows:
• Modify Question 25 from ‘Type of Educational Institution Attending’ to ‘Place of Education’
• Add new question ‘Method of Travel to Education’
• Retain existing Question 54 ‘Number of Motor Vehicles’
It is proposed to keep existing topic “Number of Motor Vehicles” (2016 Census Question 54) at the dwelling on Census night (VEHD), preferably on a 5-yearly Census cycle.
STA second preference for alterations to Census content is as follows:
• Modify Question 25 from ‘Type of Educational Institution Attending’ to ‘Place of Education’
• Alternate between new question ‘Method of Travel to Education’ and existing Question 54 ‘Number of Motor Vehicles’
A 10-yearly Census cycle would be acceptable to some ATDAN members (STAs from New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland) if existing topic “Number of Motor Vehicles” (2016 Census Question 54) at the dwelling on Census night (VEHD) had to be alternated with a proposed new question on mode or Method of Travel to Education. However, some ATDAN members (Western Australia STAs and BITRE) require VEHD to remain in every Census (particularly 2021), if inclusion of a new topic leads to exclusion of existing transport related variables.
The proposed Census content changes are supported by all ATDAN members.