Source: University of Otago
Census Day is Tuesday, 7 March – participate and be counted!
It is time to be seen Otago!
The national Census takes place over the next few weeks, and there are many good reasons for students to take part.
The census is a nationwide survey that provides an official count of people and dwellings in Aotearoa New Zealand. It gives a snapshot of life, people, and communities every five years.
Census is our chance to represent ourselves, our families, whānau, communities, and cultures.
It gives us the power to create change that benefits all of us, in our lives, towns, schools, hospitals, and streets.
Census Day is Tuesday, 7 March.
How will doing the census help me?
By taking part in the census, you help create a better understanding of your community and what it needs. By knowing these needs, government agencies, councils, iwi, community groups and businesses can plan how to respond to them, using census information to make decisions that affect you, your whānau, and your community.
One of the many ways the census data could help our communities in Dunedin is more accurate funding decisions for facilities across the University and the city, and for services like public transport, libraries, and parks.
“Census data will be crucial in the development of our new hospital”, says Isla Thomas, Team Leader – 2023 Census – Dunedin Central. “High census participation means more data to support successful funding applications and therefore better facilities in our medical centres.”
For the first time, the census will ask questions about gender, sexual identity, and variation of sex characteristics (generally known as intersex). This will help Rainbow communities feel seen and heard and will help Rainbow support services reach the right people.
The census will also ask about housing and the quality of your dwelling.
“If we have robust data that indicates a significant percentage of student flats have mould or are under-insulated, it becomes a lot more possible to make systemic changes that address the health of homes in Dunedin” says Isla.
For our Māori, Pacific and international tauira, census data supports the set-up and funding of services and facilities designed to help them reach their potential while staying connected to their communities, heritage, and culture.
Doing the 2023 census
Every person who is in the country on the night of Tuesday, 7 March 2023 will need to do the census.
You can do the census online or on paper. All you need is an access code, which you will receive in a letter, before census day. Each household will receive one access code – everyone living at that address will need to use the access code to fill their census form. If you get paper forms with your letter, you can still choose to do the census online. Keep an eye out for the letter – in the mail via NZ Post or hand delivered by Census staff.
Look out for the census letter – it contains your code to fill the census form.
If you do not receive a letter before Census Day, would like to order paper forms, have questions about the Census or require assistance completing the form, call the Public Contact Centre on 0800 236 787. You can also phone 0800 236 787 to request an internet access code be texted to you, to fill the census form online. If you require in-person assistance, visit the Dunedin Public Library, an Assisted Completion Location, for support.
You do not have to wait until census day to fill out your forms. You can do it as soon as you get your access code. If you do the census early, your answers should still be about who you are and where you will stay on census night.
Privacy and confidentiality
Once submitted, your information is stored on a secure data storage server certified for use by the New Zealand Government.
Published census data is always about groups and communities, never individuals. All identifying information, such as names and addresses, is removed before anyone can use the data.
Got questions?
Check out the Census 2023 website or meet the census team at Tent City during O-week.
– Kōrero by Sandra French, Internal Communications Adviser
