Review of 2021 Census Topics
UWA Response
Thank you for the opportunity to have input to the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics Census of Population and Housing. As you would expect students and staff at the University of Western Australia use the five yearly census for a wide range of purposes including teaching, research and planning.
The University of Western Australia has a number of research institutes and centres such as the Centre for Regional Development, the Planning and Transport Research Centre and the WA Centre for Rural Health Institute of Population which, on a daily basis, use the census data in their work. The longevity and general consistency of topics and data collection methodology of the Australian census has enabled systematic measurement of important indicators that underscore quality of life, and provide accurate insight to how and where people live and work.
Unlike many other first world countries Australia is fortunate that we continue to have a comprehensive quinquennial census which provides systematic data across a broad range of demographic, labour force, socio-economic and housing issues. Quinquennial census is important to accurately account for change and therefore more presciently plan and invest in social infrastructure and services. This has been highly valued in Western Australia, which has experienced such strong population growth (39%) over the last three census periods. A quinquennial, rather than a decennial census, has had a significant impact on the quality of data, and the spatial scales of information, facilitating targeted interpretation and accurate responses to change. A recent example of the value of a quinquennial census was the recent resources boom that had a dramatic impact throughout Western Australia but especially Perth and the Pilbara region. The 2006 census showed significant changes had occurred over the previous five years and by 2011, the policy interventions and infrastructure investments made in response to the data elicited from ABS were clearly evident.
This university therefore strongly advocates for the continuance of quinquennial census and that it remains a comprehensive record of socio-economic, labour force, housing etc. data, particularly at the smaller area scales.
In addition, researchers are keen to encourage several refinements in the census. These include:
1. Race.
Currently the only race category in the census is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. Given the current policy agenda regarding multi culturalism and immigration, inclusion of an expanded race/ethnicity question, including mixed race, would provide the opportunity to more accurately reflect the Australian population.
2. Sexuality.
An expanded categorisation of self-identified sexuality would more accurately reflect Australian cultural norms.
3. Mobility.
Currently there is no accurate way to assess mobility, particularly labour mobility which is increasingly a feature of Australian work life (Productivity Commission, 2014). Using place of usual residence and place of enumeration is clumsy and there are too many opportunities for individual interpretation and consequently, inaccuracies. There is no single system in place that captures and monitors the increasingly complex relationships between place of work and place of residence. Accurate data regarding mobility including:
o Length of time away from home or base;
o The purpose/reason for mobility;
o Destination;
o Mode of mobility; and
o Regularity of mobility.
Accurate data is important for State governments and local government authorities that depend upon Commonwealth grants and payments for a range of service delivery commitments including health, education, disability services and affordable housing. Grants and payments are made based on Commonwealth estimates of growth factors, including population. In places where there is a high rate of workforce mobility there are invariably complaints of demand exceeding supply of services or inadequate infrastructure investment. A particular issue is transit worker accommodation. This is not limited to resource dominated local economies, but has application to corporate commuters. Accurate data regarding regional demand for transport infrastructure associated with mobility would also have considerable utility.
Productivity Commission. (2014). Geographic Labour Mobility. Canberra: Australian Government Productivity Commission. Retrieved from http://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/136193/labour-mobility.pdf