Marton man pleads not guilty in census prosecution case

The case is before the Court in Marton. Photo / Bevan Conley

A Marton man is one of 60 people being prosecuted over last year's census.

Paul Hooper is facing two charges relating to not completing the 2018 census, a breach of the Statistics Act 1975.

Hooper has pleaded not guilty and says he did complete the forms in person when a census representative came to his door.

The maximum penalty for the charge is a $500 fine.

It's the only census prosecution in the Whanganui and Rangitikei districts.

In a statement, a Statistics New Zealand (Stats NZ) spokesperson said the nationwide prosecution process is still under way with 15 convictions, nine cases that have been withdrawn and 36 cases that are yet to be completed.

"While it is a legal requirement to take part in the census, it's not practical to prosecute everyone who hasn't taken part," the spokesperson said.

"Cases have been prioritised based on a number of criteria, including whether there was an active refusal to take part in the census or a strong negative or abusive attitude displayed towards census staff.

"There are typically numerous attempts to contact the household to complete the census and at least one face-to-face contact," the spokesperson said.

Hooper is due to appear in Marton District Court on July 18.