July 12, 2016
In less than a month’s time, millions of people across Australia will pause to complete the 17th national Census.
This year Census Day is August 9, and instead of wrestling with forms, residents will be able to complete their civic duty online or via their smart phone.
However, paper census forms will still be available for residents who do not have access to the internet.
2016 Census head Duncan Young,said he expected at least 16 million people to complete the survey online.
“Later this month and into early August, the ABS will deliver some 10 million letters to every household around the country in preparation for Census night,” Mr Young said.
“These letters will be addressed ‘To the Resident’ and include a unique login and instructions on how to complete the Census online, as well as details on how to request a paper Census form.”
The national Census has been a part of Australian life since just after Federation and provides the most comprehensive and accurate picture of the country’s rapidly growing and changing population.
Data collected helps government make funding decisions for services and infrastructure including housing, transport, education, industry, hospitals, and the environment.
Data from the 2011 Census revealed that Australians come from more than 200 countries, spoke more than 300 languages, belonged to more than 100 religious groups and worked in more than 1000 occupations.
“The 2016 Census is Australia’s moment to pause and make a difference, and help shape the future of Australia’s investment in housing, roads, schools and hospitals,” Mr Young said.
External link:
- Applying For Census Jobs (ABS)
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A controversy erupted earlier this year when privacy advocates and some lawyers realised that Census protocols regarding the retention of names and addresses have changed for the 2016 Census.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics “the benefits of retaining names and address in the Census are significant. Names and addresses will be used by the ABS to generate anonymous keys that can be used to combine existing data sets to create richer and more valuable statistics for Australia”
However, there are fears that the retained data could be misused (see links below).
External links:
- Census Privacy and Confidentiality (ABS)
- Census Day Is About To Get A Lot More Personal (News Limited)
- If You’re Worried About Privacy, You Should Worry About The 2016 Census (ABC News)
