NO.023
ABS PUBLICATION CHARGES ARE NOW HISTORY FOR INTERNET USERS
Today, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, The Hon. Chris Pearce
MP, was one of the first to download a free copy of an Australian Bureau of
Statistics (ABS) publication. “This is a historic outcome for an informed
community and it’s pleasing to see the realisation of this recent Federal
Government initiative”, said Mr Pearce.
The internet download of publications and tables from the ABS - covering most
aspects of the Australian economy and society - has been made free on their
web site (www.abs.gov.au) from 11.30am today.
"This is a good day for Australia," Mr Pearce said. "With more
than four million internet users throughout the country, I expect that many
businesses, community organisations, schools, non-government organisations and
citizens will be able to better inform themselves about the economy and our
society.
"This morning, for example, I was able to download and print my own copy
of the latest "Building Approvals" publication. In future, people
will be able to access publications of their choice including the very popular
Consumer Price Index, Labour Force and International Trade publications and
print them in their own home or office.
Mr Pearce said the ABS expected that its web site use, which is currently
about 50 million page views per year, would receive a large boost as a result
of the new policy. The ABS's email notification system that alerts clients to
new material on the web site means that interested people will be aware of and
able to download new publications within minutes of it being released.
Members of the public will still be able to use the ABS's e-commerce facility
to buy their own printed publications if they prefer to receive them that way.
1 July 2005
MELBOURNE
Contact:
Gillian Harvey: (03) 9887 3890 or 0411 567 060