2903.0.55.002 - How Australia Takes a Census, 2006  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 15/02/2006  First Issue
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MEDIA RELEASE

February 15, 2006
Embargoed 11:30am (AEST)
TAS4/2006

Census recruitment launched: 800 jobs to be filled

A major recruitment drive to employ around 800 people across the State has been launched by the Governor of Tasmania, His Excellency the Honourable William Cox, in Hobart today.

Workers are needed to help deliver and collect Census forms for the Census of Population and Housing on 8 August.

His Excellency said it was vital to find community-minded people who can get the job done.

He said Census recruitment would be done in two stages over the next few months, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics currently concentrating on the recruitment of Area Supervisors. Four District Managers have already been employed and they will select, train and manage 88 Area Supervisors throughout Tasmania.

Area Supervisors are responsible for the recruitment, training and management of the Census Collectors in their area. In April they will recruit 709 Collectors across the State. The Collectors will deal directly with the public, moving from door to door to deliver and collect Census forms.

ABS Regional Director for Tasmania, Dick Crockett, said that past Area Supervisors had included retired managers, former and serving school teachers, community workers, people working part time and those with home-based duties.

Mr Crockett said the ABS has been very fortunate over the years in the quality and dedication of the Census field staff and praised the community spirit of those who took on the jobs.

To apply for employment go to www.abs.gov.au/recruitment or call 1300 236 787.

Census information is used for a range of planning purposes by all levels of government, private institutions and the community. It is used to determine such things as where schools and hospitals will be built.

The number of seats each state and territory has in the House of Representatives is also based on Census figures, as are many federal funding arrangements to the states and territories.