infonews.co.nz
INDEX
NEWS

2013 Census – Every Person Counts

Thursday 7 February 2013, 5:54PM

By Napier City Council

1005 views

NAPIER

On Tuesday 5 March, every resident and visitor in New Zealand must take part in the 2013 Census.

The census will count how many people and households there are in New Zealand. Among other things, this information will be used to help determine funding for services such as education, transport and healthcare.

You can fill in your census form online or on paper. Internet Access Codes and paper forms will delivered to your home between Saturday 16 February and Tuesday 5 March. Collection forms will begin on Wednesday 6 March.

Visit www.census.govt.nz for more information call 0800 236 787, from 11 February.

Information Sheet

The next census will be held on Tuesday 5 March 2013.

Everyone who is in New Zealand on census day must fill in a census form – this includes babies, children and visitors.

The census is the official count of how many people and dwellings there are in New Zealand.

Information from the census helps determine how billions of dollars of government funding is spent in the community. It is used to help make decisions about which services are needed and where they should be, such as hospitals, kōhanga reo, schools, roads, public transport and recreational facilities.

Census information is used by councils, community groups, iwi and businesses to plan for the future.

Statistics New Zealand is required by law to hold a census every five years. The census scheduled for March 2011 was postponed following the Christchurch earthquake in February 2011. The next census will be the first one held in seven years, which makes the information we collect more important than ever.

Forms are available in English or Māori. There will be no new questions in the 2013 Census questionnaires.

You can do your forms online or on paper. Doing your forms online is secure, quick and easy.

If everyone in your household does their forms online a collector may not need to call back.

The information you provide must be kept confidential by Statistics NZ and is protected by the Statistics Act 1975.

Census information can only be used for statistical purposes and must be reported in a way that cannot identify you. No other organisations – including the New Zealand Police, Immigration New Zealand and Inland Revenue – can obtain census information that identifies you.

The Public Records Act 2005 requires census forms to be retained. After 100 years they may be made available for research that meets the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act 1975.