Plea to complete census

Statistics Minister Clayton Cosgrove urged people to participate in this year's census on March 7 as he launched the related advertising campaign this morning.

In a speech in Auckland Mr Cosgrove said all New Zealanders benefited from the information the census gathered. It was used for a wide range of areas from planning health care needs to roading priorities.

"Today I call on all New Zealanders to participate: Please fill in your forms accurately and fill them in on time," Mr Cosgrove said.

Mr Cosgrove said every major infrastructure, business and community decision had some connection to the census information and social statistics.

"The census is a national stock-take where we begin to understand how we are changing and what those changes mean to business, to our communities and to local regional and central government."

Statistics New Zealand is employing 6500 census collectors. It has printed more than four million forms and has set up an internet form.

The television advertising campaign starts tomorrow. Community programmes started last year.

- NZPA