We are not the ABS, and we can’t help you obtain a paper form or login details for the census.
We know that a lot of people have been having trouble getting through to the ABS and/or haven’t received a form or their login details. According to the ABC, “[p]aper forms need to be returned by September 18, while people have until September 23 to fill out an online form“.
Anecdotally, late in the evening or early in the morning are the best times to get through to the ABS and you can reach them at 1300 820 275.
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The Census is now less than two weeks away, and there are significant changes that affect your privacy that you should be aware of.
The key change is that, for the first time, name and address information will be retained beyond the initial data collection process.
Name and address information is of course personal information. The information given in the census about religion, income, and so on is sensitive information. There is a real risk of this information being re-identified or the access to this information being increased in the future. In addition, data leaks continue to occur despite the best efforts of governments and organisations. The safest way to avoid risk is to destroy the names and addresses immediately.
As well as representing a threat to privacy, concerns have been raised about the integrity of the data obtained by the upcoming census. Although it is illegal to knowingly provide false or misleading information on a census form, it is feared that many people may avoid participating, or provide misleading information, in order to protect their privacy. Even on a relatively small scale, acts of civil disobedience with regard to the census could seriously skew the data. With so much of the public debate and government policy in Australia being based on an understanding of the population which leans heavily on census data, EFA is concerned about the implications of a misrepresentative census.
In previous censuses, respondents were allowed to opt-in to having personally identifiable information retained, and it is the position of EFA that respondents to the 2016 Census should have the same privacy protections afforded to respondents of previous censuses, in line with community expectations.
See our Census 2016 page for more information about:
- what’s new this year
- your rights and obligations
- the implications of how you might choose to respond
PLEASE NOTE
WE DO NOT ADMINISTER THE CENSUS. IF YOU HAVE AN ENQUIRY REGARDING YOUR FORM OR RESPONSE, PLEASE DIRECT IT TO THE AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS. SEE: http://abs.gov.au/contact