Trans-Tasman Statisticians Meet

Trans-Tasman Statisticians Meet

A greater interest in consistent statistical standards between New Zealand and Australia is a major issue for a meeting this week between the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Statistics New Zealand. Australian Statistician Dennis Trewin and five colleagues are meeting their New Zealand counterparts for a three-day meeting in Wellington this week.

New Zealand Government Statistician Brian Pink is welcoming the meeting. "These exchanges help both statistical agencies to stay focused on meeting the growing demand for accurate and factual information by government, business and the wider community", Brian Pink says. Greater collaboration and developing statistical best practice are themes for the meeting. Agenda items include national statistical systems, specialist economic issues and population estimates.

"Leading the collection and analysis of statistics across all government departments and agencies is one of the key issues facing both statistical agencies", Brian Pink says. "This is an issue which Statistics New Zealand, in collaboration with other government departments, has made significant progress on in the last 12 months. As the needs of government and business change, the approach to statistics also has to change. Recent reviews of our official statistics system address these issues."

Statistics New Zealand has enjoyed a long-term collaborative relationship, which has included staff exchanges, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The meeting runs from 5 to 7 April 2004.

Brian Pink

Government Statistician

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