July 9, 2008
Attention: Chiefs of Staff and News Editors
NSS 01/2008
NatStats08 Conference features leading social and environment policy advisors
Statistics will be critical to the delivery of successful outcomes of the Australia 2020 Summit and the National
Reform Agenda in terms of measuring progress and performance, assisting government policy and decision
making and informing community debate and research on the key issues.
The type of statistics required and the role statistics can play in future policy decisions to ensure the nation's
information resources remain relevant, timely and accurate will be a focal point of the inaugural conference of the
To be held at the Crown Promenade Hotel in Melbourne on the 19-21 November 2008, the aim of the
conference is to help shape future directions in the collection of statistical information to ensure that policy
makers have effective measures of the key issues facing Australian society.
Australian and overseas speakers include:
Treasury Secretary Dr Ken Henry AC;
Head of Statistics at the OECD, Enrico Giovannini;
Co-convenor of the 2020 Summit, Professor Glyn Davis;
CEO of the World Wildlife Fund (Australia), Mr Greg Bourne;
Chief Executive of World Vision Australia, Tim Costello;
Director of Institute for Child Health Research, Professor Fiona Stanley;
Social Inclusion Advisor to the Premier of SA, Monsignor David Cappo;
Secretary for the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development, Professor Peter Dawkins;
Director of Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Dr Penny Allbon; and
Vice-Chancellor, James Cook University, Professor Sandra Harding.
The NatStats08 conference is an opportunity to build stronger relationships between information providers, policy
makers, opinion leaders and the community to better utilise information resources across the nation, supporting a
culture increasingly reliant on evidence-based decision making.
The three main themes of the conference will be:
Informing the Nation: sessions on Health, Education and Indigenous Australia;
Measuring Progress of Society: sessions on Social Inclusion, Measuring Progress in Australian
Society and Community Indicators; and
Environmental Information for Informed Decisions: sessions on Water, Natural Resource
Management and Climate Change.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Corporate Communications Section
Richard Lynch (02) 6252 6139, 0407 107 931
Dean Souter (02) 6252 5691, 0405 124 471
To receive more information on the NatStats08 conference, either fax this back to (02) 6252 8002 or email your
details to media@abs.gov.au
Name:
Organisation:
Phone:
Email:
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