Media release –
Northern Territory
Territory communities counted first for Census25 July 2011 | NT/09Counting has begun for the 2011 Census of Population and Housing in remote areas of Northern Australia. This week, Census Collectors from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) started counting community people and their key characteristics in the Arnhem Land communities of the Northern Territory. Many Collectors are local people who will interview others as part of a wider strategy to count remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Most Australians will complete the Census of Population and Housing on Census night, Tuesday, 9 August 2011, but many remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities will be directly interviewed between July and September. Thousands of community people have been employed as Collectors to assist with the Census across Northern Australia. ABS District Manager for East Arnhem, Selena Stewart, says the Census is an exciting event for the community. "We are the first part of the nation to start the Census and the warmth and support of communities here is humbling," Ms Stewart says. Ms Stewart says the most important message to community people is to talk to Census staff. "The Census people will soon be in communities all over Australia in their bright yellow shirts so talk up about all the people in your house and where you live." "They don't tell anybody else like housing or police and telling your story shows what your community needs in the future like roads, schools and hospitals." More information is available online at www.abs.gov.au/census or by calling the Census Inquiry Service on 1300 338 776 |