The Coober Pedy Census Team

Penalties of up to $180 a day for failure to complete and return a Census form.
(The Census and Statistics Act 1905)

With less than two weeks left to complete Census forms (23 September 2016) more than seven million household forms have now been received, or 80 percent of Australian households.

Census Area Supervisor for Coober Pedy Caroline Molnar said, “Yes, there are fines but no, we didn’t focus on that, only on the message that we are here to make sure no-one gets a fine by checking each dwelling multiple times and by providing assistance.”

“The information you provide about our households in Coober Pedy and the way we live is vital to our ability to obtain funding for our needs,” said Ms Molnar.

“For example, your answers to questions about personal mobility and the need for carers and other types of assistance will determine our level of need in the aged care sector and the capacity that we will be funded for.”

“This is only one example of how your effort in completing the census helps everyone else too,” said Ms Molnar.

“Coober Pedians have been great supporters of Census with 80% received at 7 September 2016.”

“If you have missed out, need help or still need to hand a form in, field officers will be out and about in Coober Pedy until the 12th of September.”

“Our “visit” phase ends on September 12 where all field officers must have completed three visits to each dwelling to retrieve the form. If we don’t get the form then the occupants receive a letter and it goes from there,” Ms Molnar said.