Census 2006 Update Tuesday 8 August
His Excellency Dr. Ken Michael AC, the Governor of Western Australia, Dave Roarty, WA Census Director and Alan Hubbard, Government Statistician and ABS Regional Director for Western Australia, launched the Census 2006 recruitment campaign on Wednesday 15 February. This was a successful event attended by representatives of local organisations from the private, public and academic sectors.
Recruitment
The program to recruit approximately 350 Area Supervisors is underway and the next stage of recruiting 3000 Census Collectors commenced on 8 April. Anyone interested in these roles can apply by phoning 1300 236 787 or logging on to :www.abs.gov.au/recruitment
Census Update
Australia’s 15th Census will be held this year. Census night is Tuesday, 8 August. This massive project is underway with ABS Census staff recruiting and training field staff as well as contacting organisations that will assist with the Census. These include places such as hospitals, mines, and military bases whose help is needed to count residents as well as organisations who can provide general support such as councils, the police service and visitor centres.
New questions
Most of the questions are the same as those contained in the 2001 Census but there are questions about three new issues in this Census: disability assistance, unpaid work and volunteer activities. They comprise four questions relating to the amount of assistance a person needs in day to day activities, two questions about unpaid work and one question about participation in volunteer activities. These questions were included after feedback and discussions following the 2001 Census and will provide extensive information about the need for support and carers across Australia with the ability to drill down to small groups and areas.
Communications Manager
WA Communication Manager for Census 2006 is Kim Harrison, with special guest of honour Lynn Fisher, CEO Volunteering WA, and Carol Buckley, the Governor’s aide were present at the Census 2006 launch. Kim is a veteran of three Censuses. He was a Collector when he was a university student, delivering Census forms to 300 Perth homes and collecting the completed forms. In the 2001 Census Kim worked part-time as an Area Supervisor in charge of a dozen Collectors in a Perth suburb. Now he rounds off his experience as the full-time Communication Manager in the Perth office, where he has been based since December. "I really enjoy the challenge of a project like this, working towards the absolutely fixed deadline of 8 August," said Kim.
"The ABS realises the importance of communication to the success of the Census and has developed a national Census communication strategy. A communication manager has been appointed in every State and Territory to ensure the ABS communicates as effectively as possible around Australia. I'm impressed with the Bureau's professional approach to communication."
Before joining the Census team, Kim was a contract PR consultant and author of a book, Strategic Public Relations, used in PR courses at several Australian universities. After the Census he will concentrate on developing his e-marketing business, selling a series of e-books on public relations from his web site. "The Internet offers a whole new world of opportunities. My web site attracts 200 visitors a day, mainly from North America, and I'm looking forward to resuming the e-marketing when the Census is over."
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