Mapping Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Location Distributions of Old People in SEQ

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine the spatial patterning and possible contributors to the geographic distribution of older people for the past decade (1996-2006). Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA) and mapping of Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) in South East Queensland (SEQ) region were used to investigate changes in spatial patterns of older people over time using ABS Census 1996 and 2006 with geocoded 230 SLAs of SEQ. The study found three main patterns emerged in SEQ. First LISA method captured one third of the SLAs in SEQ are statistically significance when we account the changes in the spatial patterns of older people over time. Second, in all of the ten most rapidly growing clusters of the statistically significant SLAs studied, spatial pattern showed a “ageing-island” which areas with growth rates highest surrounded by areas with growth rate dropping. Third, the pattern of ageing spill-over to the neighboring areas was found in some coastal areas, particularly those in North-costal regions of SEQ.