Answers to frequently asked questions about the census!
When will the Census forms be delivered and collected for the 2001 Census?
Forms will be delivered to households between 28 July, 2001 and 5 August, 2001. Census collectors will return to collect your form from 8 August 2001.
How does the ABS ensure my privacy?
The census collects information relating to each person and household in the country but it is not concerned with information about individuals as such. The census is taken to provide information about the community as a whole and about groups within the community. The public expects that the information they provide will be kept confidential and this protection is given by provisions in the Census and Statistics Act 1905. The census is confidential but not anonymous. The Census and Statistics Act 1905 (the Act) requires that the householder complete the form and take responsibility for its contents. Studies have shown that an “anonymous” census leads to much poorer statistics. Names are required in some circumstances to assist in coding of complex families, and to allow a quality check on census enumeration using another survey after the census. Addresses are required to ensure that forms are collected from all households. Once processing is completed all names and addresses are destroyed.
Completed census forms will be transferred from the collection centres to the Census Data Processing Centre under secure arrangements. Full-time security personnel will be employed to prevent any unauthorised access to the processing centre. Comprehensive security arrangements are implemented on the ABS computer system. These include the use of regularly changed passwords, access control and audit trails. In accordance with the Act, no results will be released in a way which would enable particular individuals or households to be identified.
What if I am not at home on Census Night?
Wherever you are in Australia on census night, Tuesday 7 August, you are required to fill out a census form. This may not be where you usually live. The location at which you fill out the census form is known as your place of enumeration. Census counts by place of enumeration include information on overseas visitors for the variables age, sex and marital status. A special overseas visitor category has been created for the remaining variables since this information is not needed in detailed form for the delivery of services in Australia.
If you are not at home on census night, (you may be in a motel or at a friend’s place), a question on the census form asks for your usual place of residence. This allows you to be counted at the dwelling in which you usually reside if you are temporarily absent. Usual residence counts can only be provided for people, not families or dwellings. These counts exclude visitors from overseas.
Why does it take so long from the time of collection to release the data ?
Notwithstanding advancements in technology, there is still a relatively long lead time required to release census data. This is due to the essential activities involved in the collection, capture, coding, and validation of over 700 million responses to census questions. To facilitate these tasks, a centralised processing centre has been established and is staffed by about 1000 ABS officers. In late August 2001 they will commence the processes mentioned above and will continue for approximately 12 months.
Census data users can expect further improvements in timeliness to that achieved for the 1996 Census and an adherence to all advertised release dates for the 2001 Census. A 2001 Census release schedule similar to the 1996 Census will be implemented for 2001 Census output.
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