2013 Census to take place on Tuesday 5 March

The 2013 census will be held on Tuesday 5 March and everyone who is in New Zealand on this day must complete a census form; this includes babies, children and visitors.

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

Council encourages residents to participate, "Information obtained from the census helps determine how billions of government funding is spent in the community; such as the allocation of funds towards hospitals, kōhanga reo, schools, roads, public transport and recreational facilities," said Kerry Fabrie, Communications Manager.

"Councils like our own, community groups, iwi and businesses use census information to help plan for the future," she continued.

The 2013 census will be the first one held in seven years, as the census scheduled for March 2011 was postponed following the Christchurch earthquake in February 2011; which makes the information collected more important than ever.

Census forms are available in English or Māori and can be completed either online or on paper.

Internet Access Codes and paper forms will be delivered to your home between Saturday 16 February and Tuesday 5 March.

The information you provide must be kept confidential by Statistics New Zealand; it 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.

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