As you surely know by now, August 9 is Census night in Australia. If you’re going to be away tomorrow, have an unexpected internet outage or simply don’t have time to fill out the form, DON’t PANIC: the ABS is giving all Australians an unofficial deadline of September 23 to complete the survey.
According to the ABS Census and Statistical Network Division general manager Chris Libreri, while it is preferred that the forms are all filled out by August 9, realistically, people have until September 23 to complete it.
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“No one has ever been fined for being late with their Census form, the fines are only if you eyes-open refuse to a Census collector,” Libreri explained during an interview with News.com.au. “…It’s not about being late or not receiving the form. We allow two weeks for people to do their forms and put them in before we start the field visitation phase.”
There are various reasons why you might not have time to fill out the Census, ranging from a family emergency to losing your online login code (if you’ve lost yours, here’s what to do.)
In other words, if you’re critically time poor, you don’t have to move mountains to complete the Census tomorrow: as long as you get it in by September 23 everything should be fine. Phew.
[Via News]
Comments
2 responses to “The Australian Census ‘Deadline’ Is Actually Over A Month Away”
This census is the first I’ve experienced where I can’t complete it on the actual night because I don’t have the paperwork. What a mess.
Let’s wait until the deadline. Hopefully some common sense will prevail in the meantime and we will have the opportunity to leave our names off the census form.
“If you’re going to be away tomorrow, have an unexpected internet outage or simply don’t have time to fill out the form…”
How about ‘or if the Census servers crash meaning you are unable to complete it on the night’ ??
It wasn’t a crash, it was some American hackers I believe, search it up on news.
Census official called at my place and I said I’m doing it and have till mid September. He said OK and never said anything about my civic duty etc. So how many of these guys are getting paid to do useless follow ups. I told him I was waiting till the last minute because hopefully they would scrap it in the meantime. i don’t think he cared one way or the other. When are they ditching the data match plan? I’m still waiting for that before I do it.
He did care cause he will 5 visits and his job is done. When you fail to do it with your eye-open, a fine knock on your door then you will cry and that guy will still no care
Ok, now I’m nervous. I’ve had a Census official come to my place three times already. I said we will do before the deadline, but her response was that I’ll be fined if it’s not done by the 5th time they call – regardless of deadline. She said that for some reason I am on an ” early follow up list” but had no idea why I’m being targeted this way and other people in the street are not.
I’ve been targetted this way as well. Despite not being home when they’ve come and left the paperwork and when they’ve returned to collect it I’ve been left a letter stating it’s overdue and I will be fined on their next visit. I’ve completed it online and I’m not here when they visit so I have no clue what more I’m meant to do.