Remote is not just something we use for TV viewing

The United States Census Bureau website provides general population figures in two geographical categories:

·         Urban, and

·         Rural.

(I'm sure there are lots of more complex measures, but these are the straightforward classifications offered in the 'first glance' section of the website.)

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) most commonly publishes population figures in fivegeographical categories (again, different categories are used by different government services):

1.      Major Cities

2.      Inner Regional Australia

3.      Outer Regional Australia

4.      Remote Australia

5.      Very Remote Australia

These Australian categories measure how far a community is from the nearest town of more than 250,000 people, assuming a town must be at least this size before it provides access to:

·         all the services a person might need; and

·         the best opportunities for social interaction.

It doesn’t matter what these services are: Like a consumer price index, it’s just a useful way of making a comparison.

When they say these measures reflect how far people are from services, this is based on roaddistance. A quick glance back at the charts comparing our airport infrastructure might provide one clue about why measuring remoteness in road distances is appropriate.