Final Report on RREF 2001 - Department of Health

Part C: Outcomes
6.3 FURTHER ISSUES AND VIEWS ON OUTCOMES
• There was wide agreement in the Round 2 Consultations that the patterns of need shown by
the need weightings at regional level and for LGAs reflected experience in the field. Three
aspects of the results were noted in particular:
1. The relatively limited gradation in the average need weightings across the nine
regions;
2. The more marked variations between LGAs within regions; and
3. The insights into variations in need within regions provided by the LGA data
compiled for the RREF and the value of having this data available for use in
regional and local planning.
6.4 REVISED REGIONAL OUTCOMES OF WEIGHTING FOR NEED VARIABLES
Average weightings across all LGAs in each region are ranked as set out in Table 6.1. While
there was a 29% difference between the lowest and highest average percentage weightings, from
18% to 47%, seven of the nine regions were within a range of 13%. All rural regions receive a
weighting of at least 30%.
Table 6.1: Average Weightings for Regions
Rank
Region
Weighting
Average for all Lowest Highest Range
LGAs
LGA LGA
Lowest Eastern Metropolitan 18 11 27 16
Southern Metropolitan 26 9 51 42
Northern Metropolitan 35 ) 9 56 47
Western Metropolitan 36 ) 18 58 40
Barwon South Western 39 ) 7 regions 29 44 15
Hume 39 ) within 12% 29 47 18
Grampians 43 ) range 29 58 29
Gippsland 44 ) 34 67 33
Highest Loddon-Mallee 47 ) 24 71 47
The highest and lowest LGA weightings within each region show that there is as much variation
between LGAs within each region as between regions. The highest score for any individual
LGA was 32/45, giving a weighting of 71%, and the lowest was 4/45, giving a weighting of 9%.
Comparisons that highlight this intra-regional variations are:
• The Eastern Metropolitan region is characterised by less variation within the region;
further, the highest need weighting for any LGA in this region, 24%, is comparable
to the lowest need weighting in the five rural regions.
• Barwon South Western and Hume have similar lowest and highest LGA need
weightings and there is less variation between LGAs within these regions, less than
20%.
<strong>Final</strong> <strong>Report</strong> July 2001 70