Tonight is Census night. Every five years, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) counts every person and household in Australia. This activity is called the Census of Population and Housing, or Census for short.
The Census is the most comprehensive snapshot of the country and provides information about the economic, social and cultural make-up of the country. It includes around ten million households and over twenty-five million people.
The last Census in 2016 was the first time the ABS attempted to do the Census online, but hackers targeted it, and it was shut down after only two million online submissions were received. This time, the ABS is preparing for the worst. So much so that they've hired "friendly hackers" to test out the website's vulnerabilities.
Since 2001, the ABS and National Archives of Australia have given respondents the option to have their complete census data, including name and address, stored in the Census Time Capsule. The time capsule is stored securely at the National Archives for 99 years and released publicly at the end of that period. The first Census Time Capsule will be opened on 7 August 2100.
Completing the Census is compulsory. Everyone who is staying in a household on Census night must be included. You can be fined for refusing to complete the Census or for submitting an incomplete form. So it's time for me to go and complete it.
The Census is the most comprehensive snapshot of the country and provides information about the economic, social and cultural make-up of the country. It includes around ten million households and over twenty-five million people.
The last Census in 2016 was the first time the ABS attempted to do the Census online, but hackers targeted it, and it was shut down after only two million online submissions were received. This time, the ABS is preparing for the worst. So much so that they've hired "friendly hackers" to test out the website's vulnerabilities.
Since 2001, the ABS and National Archives of Australia have given respondents the option to have their complete census data, including name and address, stored in the Census Time Capsule. The time capsule is stored securely at the National Archives for 99 years and released publicly at the end of that period. The first Census Time Capsule will be opened on 7 August 2100.
Completing the Census is compulsory. Everyone who is staying in a household on Census night must be included. You can be fined for refusing to complete the Census or for submitting an incomplete form. So it's time for me to go and complete it.
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