Creating a temporally consistent spatial framework for the analysis of inter- regional migration in Australia
✍ Scribed by Blake, Marcus ;Bell, Martin ;Rees, Philip
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2000
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 278 KB
- Volume
- 6
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1077-3495
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Changes in zonal boundaries severely compromise the reliability of comparisons made from time series data. We examine problems and solutions to the development of a temporally consistent spatial structure in the context of the literature on zone design. Four main approaches to the development of compatible spatial systems are identi®ed and their merits discussed. One of these, the `designer' solution, is used to establish a consistent spatial structure for the analysis of inter-regional migration in Australia over the period 1976 to 1996. It is shown that intercensal boundary changes over this period create signi®cant spatial discontinuities, and that variations in the digital boundaries from successive censuses hamper development of an automated solution. We set out the tasks involved in the design of geographical zones, establish criteria for the design of migration regions, and describe the key procedures for implementation. Using these principles, we then devise a system of 69 functional regions which for practical purposes are temporally consistent over the 1981, 1986, 1991 and 1996 censuses. We illustrate the utility of the database by examining selected facets of Australian inter-regional migration.