Anglicare Sydney uses the religion question in the Census both for our own planning and on behalf of other Anglican organisations we work with in the Sydney area. We recommend that the religion question remain in the Census in 2021 and that it retain the wording and response order of the 2016 Census.
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Religion
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Assessment Criteria 1
1.
This topic is of current national importance.
National Importance
Anglicare Sydney is a large aged care and community services organisation which uses the national Census to better understand the wider community and for planning purposes. Census data is analysed and reported upon by our Social Research & Policy Unit (SPRU), as well as by other parts of the organisation.
SPRU also provides Census data reports to other Anglican agencies outside Anglicare and to parishes in the Diocese of Sydney, including religious affiliation data gathered through the Census. This data is essential in agencies and parishes better understanding local communities and their own Anglican constituency within these communities. The Religion question has assisted Anglican schools in better understanding the populations in their catchment areas.
Religious affiliation is important complementary data to the ethnicity data collected through the Census, and helps to provide a more nuanced picture of ethnic groups than would otherwise be possible through questions about ethnicity (eg country of birth, language spoken at home). This suite of data assists in planning for the location of new ministries, including ethno-specific ministries.
Trend data from the Census, including that based on the Religious question, also informs understanding about the growth and decline of churches in local areas.
Assessment Criteria 2
2.
There is a need for data from a Census of the whole population.
For whole population
The Anglican Diocese of Sydney, which covers most of Greater Sydney, the Illawarra, Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven, is divided up into around 250 parish areas. Anglicare’s Social Policy & Research Unit receives requests from Anglican ministers for Census data, including religious affiliation data, for their parishes. This is to inform ministers about the population in their parish, distinctive characteristics, how the parish has changed over time and to enable comparison with the people who attend their church. In some cases parishes are very small – less than 10 Statistical Areas Level 1 – so Census data is required.
When used in conjunction with country of birth, language spoken at home and ancestry data, the religious affiliation data is useful in planning services to particular ethnic groups by Anglicare Sydney and the Anglican Church.
Assessment Criteria 3
3.
The topic can be accurately collected in a form which the household completes themselves.
Easy to answer
The Religion question is an optional question which has been in the Census since 1911. It is short and easy to answer.
Assessment Criteria 4
4.
The topic would be acceptable to Census respondents.
Acceptable
The Religion question is an optional question in the Census. Therefore, if people consider it intrusive, offensive or controversial, they can decline to answer.
Assessment Criteria 5
5.
The topic can be collected efficiently.
Collected efficiently
The Religion question has been in the national Census since its inception. Anglicare Sydney would favour keeping the question and the response order unchanged from the 2016 Census, since coding and reporting of data is already in place.
Assessment Criteria 6
6.
There is likely to be a continuing need for data on this topic in the following Census.
Continuing need
The question of religious affiliation will continue to be of interest to many organisations, community groups and individuals in Australia into the future.
Anglicare Sydney uses time series data for religious affiliation to inform planning, and collects this information on behalf of the Anglican Church and other organisations in the Sydney Diocese for their planning and evaluation as well.
Assessment Criteria 7
7.
There are no other alternative data sources or solutions that could meet the topic need.
No alternatives
Religious affiliation data has been collected in the national Census since 1911 so the Census is the best source of this data for the future.