Census Day is Tuesday, 7 March 2023

The next census is coming with Census Day being Tuesday 7th March 2023. 

The census is a nationwide survey conducted by NZ Statistics that happens every five years to understand more about life in Aotearoa New Zealand and how it is changing. 

Iwi, community groups, local and central government, and businesses use census data to make decisions about funding and providing services that affect you, your whānau, and your community. 

By taking part in the census, you help create a better understanding of your community and what it needs. The census is so important that your response is required by law. 

To learn more about the 2023 Census, or to fill out the Census 2023 on-line, visit www.census.govt.nz  

Do you need help completing your Census 2023 Forms?  

Independent Living, at Royal Oak, is an Assisted Completion Location (ACL).  This means we will have people assisting completion of forms every Wednesday from 10am to 3pm. Read below for more details.

ACL’s can be located at Libraries, Citizen Advice Bureaus, and other community locations.

ACL’s provide accessible and trusted community locations where people can seek advice and support to complete their census.

As an ACL, Independent Living will assist by providing: 

• An accessible location for disabled and elderly people 
• A computer and internet access 
• Help with understanding how to complete the census form 
• Assist with overcoming language barriers  

The level of assistance required may be different for each person and the aim is that people are supported to complete their census with independence and dignity. Because the census contains personal questions, sensitivity and discretion are advised in all cases. 

Dates Independent Living are providing assistance 

Independent Living at Royal Oak will be providing assistance every Wednesday from the 22nd February until the 05th April and on Saturday 04th March 2023. We will have people on-site from 10.00am until 3.00pm on each of these days. 

Virtual Sessions

Independent Living will also be holding three virtual sessions. Two will be held on Friday 03rd March and the third will be held on Monday 06th March. The Monday sessions will also include Sign Language Interpreters. 

General Information 

When should I complete my census forms?  

You can complete your census forms as soon as you get them.  Please fill them out either on or before Census Day, Tuesday 7 March 2023.   

You can still fill out your census forms after Census Day. Whenever you fill out your census forms, you do this for where you are staying on the night of Tuesday, 7 March 2023.   

How can I complete the census? 

You can complete your census forms online or on paper.  Please write your answers in either English or te reo Māori.  You can ask for support to fill in your census forms.  

To complete the census online you will need a private access code that is located on a letter that your household will receive in the mail or from a census collector delivering census packs in your area in February   

If you would prefer to receive an access code by text (SMS), please call 0800 CENSUS (0800 236 787) to ask for a new one to be texted to you, or complete an online form at www.census.govt.nz. 

Not everyone will receive paper forms in the mail but you can order them if you prefer to complete the census on paper. We have Large Print forms available in English, and standard print forms in English, as well as bilingual forms that have Māori and English side by side. Please order paper forms by phoning the helpline 0800 CENSUS (0800 236 787) or complete an online order form at www.census.govt.nz.  

Privacy and security of census information 

Stats NZ takes the privacy and confidentiality of survey respondents and the information they provide seriously. We work hard to meet our obligations under the Privacy Act 2020 and Data and Statistics Act 2022 and have appropriate measures and processes in place to protect people’s data and personal identity. 

We are really grateful that you have agreed to help by assisting others to complete their census forms. This may involve others choosing to put their trust in you by sharing details about themselves when asking for assistance to complete census forms.

We ask that you respect the trust that others have placed in you by respecting their privacy through: 

• not sharing any personal information, you may see or hear as you assist others complete the census 
• allowing individuals to complete their form in private where they do not wish to have an active assistance. 

For information in different formats 

What formats are the Census forms available in? 

There are copies of the census questions available in: 

• Braille 
• Audio 
• Large Print 
• New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL).   

An Easy Read guide to the census is available in an A4 booklet, in English or Māori.  A copy of the Easy Read booklet can be sent to you, or you can download this from the census website www.census.govt.nz.   

Audio files can be listened to on the census website in MP3 file or sent to you on a CD or USB stick. 

For help or to ask for information in different formats please visit the census website www.census.govt.nz or call the census helpline free, on 0800 CENSUS (0800 236 787). You can call us 7 days a week from 8am to 10pm.

If you speak a language that is not English, then you can ask for someone who speaks te reo Māori, Samoan, Tongan, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Hindi, or Punjabi.   

You can also contact the helpline using the NZ Relay service which is also free. Find out more about the NZ Relay service by visiting www.nzrelay.co.nz.