Suburbs and Localities (SAL)
Suburbs and Localities, formerly State Suburbs, are an ABS Mesh Block approximation of the officially recognised boundaries of suburbs (in cities and larger towns) and localities (outside cities and larger towns) as defined by State and Territory governments of Australia. These boundaries are created to enable the release of ABS data on areas that approximate official localities, allowing comparison of ABS data with other locality-based datasets.
Custodian: The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is the data custodian for SAL boundaries.
Note: ABS approximations of administrative boundaries do not match official legal boundaries and should only be used for statistical purposes.
Postal Areas (POA)
Postal Areas are an ABS Mesh Block approximation of a general definition of postcodes. They enable comparison of ABS data with other datasets collected using postcodes as the geographic reference.
Custodian: The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is the data custodian for POA boundaries.
Note: ABS approximations of administrative boundaries do not match official legal boundaries and should only be used for statistical purposes.
Modified Monash Model (MMM)
The Modified Monash Model (MMM) is a classification system used to define the remoteness of Australian locations, ranging from MM 1 (major cities) to MM 7 (very remote areas). It combines population size and geographic remoteness to guide health workforce planning, especially in rural and remote communities. MMM is based on the Australian Statistical Geography Standard – Remoteness Areas (ASGS-RA) and is updated after each national Census conducted by the ABS.
Custodian: The Department of Health is the data custodian for MMM boundaries.
