Review of 2021 Census Topics

Transport NSW
Transport Accident Commission (TAC), Victoria
Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland
Department of Transport, WA
Department of State Growth, Tasmania
Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, NT
Transport Canberra and City Services Directorate, ACT Government
RAC WA
Amy Gillett Foundation
Heart Foundation
Victoria Walks
We Ride Australia
Bicycle Network
Bicycle Queensland
Central Coast Council
Cairns Regional Council
City of Parramatta

We propose that the following options are considered for inclusion in the 2021 Census:
1. Include journey to place of education data.
2. When selecting mode of transport to work or education, allow for a combination of walking with other
transport (e.g. car, car passenger, walking & bus, walking & train, cycling etc.).
Specifically, our proposals are:
1. Following the question “How did the person get to place of work on DAY,DATE MONTH 2021?”, add question
“How did the person get to place of education on DAY,DATE MONTH 2021?”
2. Under options for method of travel, change “Walked only” to “Walked”.
The inclusion of this data will help inform future policy and planning when managing road and other transport
networks.

As government agencies at all levels (local, state and federal) look at ways to develop sustainable transport options
and implement strategies and actions to improve conditions for alternative options, data is needed about the ways
that people get to work and to places of education to develop policy and plan for future use. Data is also needed to
benchmark whether strategies put in place to increase the number of people using forms of transport other than
motor vehicles have had an effect.
Walking is often an integral part of a journey to work or place of education (e.g. walking to a bus stop or train
station), however, at present, data on walking as part of a journey is not captured in current census questions.
Data on the number of people that incorporate walking into their daily journey to their place of work or education,
will assist in incorporating walking options in policy development and planning.
Though the inclusion of transport to education, as well as work, this will help identify more accurately the number
of people using transport systems during peak hours and the mode they are using, and therefore assist with
planning for managing transport during those times.

Incorporating these questions in the 2021 census will achieve two aims:
1. Create a more complete picture of the number and mode of transport people are using during peak times
to get to work or a place of education; and
2. Provide consistent, directly comparable data across the whole of the population about how people get to
work or their place of education.
By being able to break that information down into smaller geographic regions, areas where transport options such
as walking are not utilised as much can be identified, and strategies put in place to improve conditions and
ultimately uptake.
The data about journey to education, will also be able to be cross-referenced with data collected elsewhere in the
Census on educational institution and, for example, whether there are any correlations between type of
educational institution and mode of travel.

The topic can be accurately collected in a form which the household completes themselves. The proposed changes
are minor modifications/additions of an existing question, and it has been has been demonstrated that:
 They will be easily understood by respondents;
 The data collected will be through the modification of one option for an existing question and the
replication with a minor change to that question;
 Respondents will easily know the answer to the questions; and
 The questions are quick and easy to answer.

how respondents get to their place of work. The topic is not considered intrusive, offensive or controversial.
Not only would respondents likely to be willing and able to answer the questions accurately, but the responses are
likely to be more accurate than the previous census, as there are options that may be more relevant to the
respondents.
There are no considerations for specific groups.

The topic can be collected efficiently as the questions are minor additions to data already collected. There is an
existing code for Type of Educational Institution Attending (TYPP), which can be cross-referenced with Method of
Travel to Work (MTWP), therefore no extra coding is required for that.
Method of Travel to Work (or Education), will require the addition of categories to incorporate multi-modal options
including:
 Train, walking
 Bus, walking
 Ferry, walking
 Tram, walking
 Taxi, walking
 Car as driver, walking
 Car as passenger, walking
 Truck, walking
 Motorbike/scooter, walking
 Bicycle, walking
 Walking, other
 Train, bus, walking
 Train, ferry, walking
 Train, tram, walking etc.
Apart from the additional categories, this should not require extensive processing, as it is already in place.
There may be the requirement for some instruction so respondents consider their entire journey, e.g. including
walking to the bus stop/train station as part of their journey to work or education, but it will not require a lengthy
instruction or explanation.
The topic will not require a large number of response categories or multiple questions, as it is the modification of
one option in an existing question, and the addition of education is the addition of one question.

There is a continuing need for data on this topic as alternative forms of transport are being increasingly considered
by respondents and planners alike. Time series data is required to determine changes in the number of people
using different forms of transport, enabling planners and policy makers to cater for future needs.
This topic is likely to remain relevant in the future as there will always be a requirement for people to travel to
places of work and education, and therefore consistent data at a national level about how they do that is vital for
future transport management.

Data is collected by individual agencies on the number of people using public transport, the number of cars on the
road and, to a growing degree, the number of cyclists, there is currently no consistent, national level data being
collected on:
1. The purpose of the journey e.g. to work, education, shops etc.
2. Whether the journey incorporates walking.
The only data collected on these topics will be small surveys on an ad hoc basis.

To improve the conditions for, and uptake of, cycling and walking as transport options, Cycling and Walking
Australian and New Zealand (CWANZ) is collaborating at a national level, representing all state and territory
transport agencies, plus advocacy groups and local councils. Its objectives are to:
1. Make the case for cycling and walking liveable, healthy and productive communities.
2. Increase investment in cycling and walking from all levels of government.
3. Apply innovation and learning in all that we do.
4. Enable national consistency and harmonisation to ensure a national approach is taken to implement
strategies and actions that will rapidly improve the conditions for, and uptake of, cycling and walking on
Australia and New Zealand transport and recreation networks.
The inclusion of the proposed topic and questions will provide essential data to enable CWANZ to develop the
strategies and actions required to achieve its objectives. This will lead to informed policy development and
planning for transport at a local, state and federal level, improving conditions for everyone.