Whanganui residents are required to complete the 2023 Census next Tuesday. Photo / Bevan Conley
Whanganui residents are required to complete the 2023 Census next Tuesday. Photo / Bevan Conley
Census packs are being delivered to homes in the Whanganui region ahead of the nationwide survey that will take place on Tuesday, March 7.
The census provides an official count of people and dwellings in Aotearoa New Zealand and assists central and local government, iwi, business and community organisations to plan and implement policies in areas like health, education, housing, and transport.
Under the Data and Statistics Act 2022, everyone living or staying in the country on the night of the census is required to complete a form.
This includes parents and caregivers completing census information for children and babies.
Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said councillors and staff were looking forward to seeing the results of the census.
“It will help us to make informed, evidence-based decisions,” he said.
“The 2023 data will be especially important because the 2018 Census results were not comprehensive. From this census, we will have a more accurate picture of not only the size of the population, but also the dynamics of the population.”
Tripe said he would like to see a 100 per cent participation rate in Whanganui.
Deputy government statistician Simon Mason said the information collected is turned into data that is used to make important decisions that impact every person and community.
“The 2023 Census is the only survey we all do as a country,” he said.
“Not only is it the official count of people and the places we live or stay, but it provides a point-in-time understanding of life in Aotearoa New Zealand and how the population is faring now, and how life is changing over time.”
“Iwi, community organisations, councils, businesses, and the Government all make important decisions about where to fund and locate services and key infrastructure like hospitals, schools, roads, public transport, parks, and recreation facilities using data from the census.”
The Government has boosted the amount of funding for this year’s census after a review of the 2018 Census found there was only an 83 per cent response rate – well down on the usual response of about 94 per cent – for which the decision to hold it mainly online was blamed.
This year, the number of census workers has doubled and people will have more choices in how they do the census, including more paper forms and more accessible formats.
Shaun Nicholls, area manager for census staff working in the Taranaki region, said the feedback from residents had been positive.
“Most people know that the census is something that happens every five years, but our staff have been able to answer questions about why the data is important,” he said.
“Knowing that their answers will lead to improvements in health services, housing provision and community support makes people feel that their participation is worthwhile.”
Nicholls said it was also important to reassure people that their personal details would not be published.
“You might, for example, talk to someone living in Kāinga Ora housing where there are seven people living in a home that is meant for only three people.
“They need assurance that their information will not be shared with Kāinga Ora, and by answering the census questions honestly, they will be helping to highlight the need for more affordable housing in their area.”
Nicholls said census staff would be following up after census night and revisiting households in their area.
Whanganui households are required to complete the 2023 NZ Census. Photo / Bevan Conley
The first New Zealand Census, which took place in 1851, excluded Māori and did not include all regions of the country.
The Census Act of 1877 required a census to be taken in 1878 and 1881 and every five years thereafter.
Since 1881, the five-year pattern has continued, with only four exceptions: the depression of the 1930s, World War II, a general election in the 1940s, and the 2011 Census was cancelled due to the February 22 Christchurch earthquake. That census took place in 2013.
This year, residents in Cyclone Gabrielle-affected areas Tairāwhiti, Northland, and the Bay of Plenty will be given an extended period of up to eight weeks to complete the census.
Minister of Statistics Deborah Russell said the areas were among those under-served by the 2018 Census, and the 2023 data was even more critical as a source of information to support and guide the recovery in those regions.
It was estimated that around 600,000 people had already completed the census online.
Visit census.govt.nz to complete the census, or free-phone 0800 236 787 to request a paper copy.
