DIMA Annual Report 1998-99
Sub-program 1.1: Research and Statistics
Performance outcomes
(i) Needs of the portfolio
Research program
The Department's central research program was developed in consultation with program areas and with individual projects endorsed by the Minister.
Research projects largely completed in 1998-99 include:
- Impact of Immigration on the Commonwealth Budget – this study reported on work done by ACIL Consulting to validate earlier work in this area by the Department of Finance and Administration, and the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. The study highlights the beneficial impact of Skilled Migration on the Commonwealth Budget;
- Impact of Immigration on the Ageing of Australia's Population – an examination of the relevant arguments by Professor Peter McDonald and Ms Rebecca Kippen;
- Business needs and the Immigration intake – a study by the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia of how the business community sees its operations responding to a competitive international environment, and how it proposes to use overseas skills and contacts; and
- Evaluation of the contribution of business skills of Migrants in Australia – an economic assessment by Access Economics of the Business Skills Visa Class of immigrants in terms of the objectives of the program, as part of a review of the program being undertaken by the Minister's Business Advisory Panel.
Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia
The Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia (LSIA) continued to be a central research source of the Portfolio. It provided reliable data for Commonwealth and other agencies to monitor and evaluate immigration and settlement policies, programs and services, and for developing future policies.
Following completion of the final and third wave of the first LSIA, data is being validated and a report based on the findings of Waves One, Two and Three will be released. With the completion of Waves One and Two of the LSIA, the Research Advisory Committee of the Joint Commonwealth/State/Territory Population, Immigration and Multicultural Research Program commissioned several reports utilising LSIA data. Details of the reports commissioned to date are:
- the changing pattern of immigrants' labour force experiences;
- needs for English as a Second Language services;
- changing patterns of immigrants' health and use of medical services;
- general satisfaction with migration reported by recent immigrants;
- immigrants' housing needs and preferences; and
- immigrant support services.
In addition, LSIA data was used as input to the review of the General Points Test, review of the Parents category, the Department's fact sheets, settlement planning activities, Ministerial briefings and parliamentary questions.
It was also used to develop an economic model of the relative financial costs and benefits to the Commonwealth Government of the first five years of settlement of immigrants in the different eligibility categories of migration.
Other Portfolio issues for which program areas sought LSIA data were:
- unemployment rates, labour force participation, skill levels, qualification assessment, occupation and attendance at educational institutions;
- assets transfers and expenditure, receipt of Centrelink benefits and tax payment estimates;
- internal movement;
- English language proficiency;
- household size;
- demand for housing;
- the two-year Centrelink waiting period; and
- more specific issues concerning immigrant sub-populations such as women, parents, settlers in particular Australian States, migrants from particular countries of birth or particular ethnic groups, and migrants in each of the main visa eligibility categories.
The success of the first LSIA led to the commissioning of a second, which will follow the same methodology.
Work is in progress on developing the questionnaire for the pilot study. This is being done in consultation with program areas of the Department, other interested agencies such as the Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business, the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs, the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Centrelink.
The LSIA has gained international recognition, with Canada and New Zealand currently developing similar studies based on information exchanged on our methodology.
Australian Population, Immigration and Multicultural Research Program
This sub-program manages the Australian Population, Immigration and Multicultural Research Program, a joint program of the Commonwealth, state and territory ministers responsible for immigration and multicultural affairs. It examines a variety of population and settlement issues to assist in policy formulation and assessment.
A new series of the Atlas of the Australian People, based on the 1996 Census, has been commissioned. This series of atlases looks at the socio-economic characteristics and distribution of Australia's population, based on country of birth for each state and territory. The National Overview projects provide similar information for the state and territory atlases at the national level.
A study of internal migration was also commissioned under the program. It looks at the mobility of the Australian population, overseas and Australian-born.
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Performance outcomes
(ii) Accessibility of research, statistics and information services
Another function of the sub-program is providing statistical support for the Department's policy and operational functions, and disseminating information on immigration, population and multicultural issues to other government agencies and the community in general.
It acquires and analyses relevant statistical data, produces a range of standard tables and a number of electronic data products, publishes statistical reports, and provides a general statistics inquiry service.
Three electronic statistical products developed by the sub-program during the year are:
- Migrants 98, which provides settler arrival data by birthplace, migration category, State of intended residence, occupation, applicant type and gender, for the past five financial years;
- a series of tables containing settler arrival and 1996 Census data that the user can customise according to their needs; and
- Eligible Non-Citizens, which provides data based on the 1996 Census on non-citizens who are eligible for Australian citizenship by birthplace for each local government area in Australia.
In 1998-99, the sub-program published a quarterly Immigration Update, the annual Settler Arrivals report, and three statistical reports, Temporary Entrants 1997-98, Australian Citizenship 1996 Census, and Classification of Countries into English Proficiency Groups.
A series of 20 Community Profiles will be published shortly. Each profile analyses a range of demographic and socio-economic characteristics for a birthplace group, based on data from the 1996 Census.
During the year 2480 statistical requests were handled, 63 per cent of which were from external clients including government agencies, researchers and community groups. The number of requests has declined since the introduction of a charge for this service in 1992-93 and the wider dissemination of statistical information by the Department in electronic forms.
Library services
During the year the library added 305 items to its collection, dealt with 3294 inquiries, supplied 4511 internal loans, arranged 857 inter-library loans and produced bibliographies on The Social and Cultural Impact of Immigration on Australia, Asia-Pacific and Trans-Tasman Migration and Population and Immigration in Australia.
The Multicultural Australia and Immigration Studies (MAIS) database gained 1482 references during the year, bringing the total to 33 299. The MAIS database is a national computerised database owned by the Department and accessible through State, Commonwealth, parliamentary and university libraries, most public libraries, the departmental library and on the Austrom CD-ROM, produced by RMIT Publishing (phone (03) 9349 4994). The MAIS is also available on the Internet at www.informit.com.au
In addition, the library began accessing and contributing to the national resource sharing service Kinetica, permitting the continuation of services requiring the use of the national database.