Media release –
New South Wales
370 Census Collectors hit the streets of the Riverina29 July 2011 | NSW/51370 Census Collectors will hit the streets of the Riverina today to deliver Census forms to every home, farm, riverboat and campsite in the region and ensure every person is accurately counted on Census night, Tuesday, 9 August. Census Collectors in regional NSW often face long journeys to deliver Census forms, a task Area Supervisor Debi O’Connor knows all about. Debi and her team of eight Census Collectors are responsible for the Census count in Wakool and Moulamein which equates to an area 200kms long and 100kms wide. Debi, a rice, cattle and sheep farmer with her own 3,000 acre farm, says she is confident of a successful Census count in her patch. “I’ve lived and farmed in the area for 30 years so I know most of the locals if not by name by sight. Working at the NAB in Deniliquin for 10 years helps, as does my current work with as a teacher’s aide." This year will be Debi’s fifth Census and her fourth as an Area Supervisor. During this time she has never had any hiccups and turns to the local community to help conduct the Census. “I’ve worked out how to approach different situations,” explains Debi. "Once you explain how important Census information is for planning local facilities we use every day, people are usually very happy to participate." This year’s Census will be the second time people can complete the Census online. “So many more rural communities and farms have access to the internet these days. I expect that many households will decide to complete their Census form online this year compared to 2006,” Debi adds. More information is available online at www.abs.gov.au/census or by calling the Census Inquiry Service on 1300 338 776 |