Review of 2021 Census Topics

This submission seeks to:

• Support the ongoing inclusion of key transport questions in the ABS Census, including ‘Method of Travel to Work’, ‘Place of Work’ and ‘Number of Motor Vehicles’.

• Enhance Question 45 (Method of Travel to Work) by replacing ‘walked only’ with ‘walk’. This will allow respondents to select walk in isolation, or in conjunction with other modes to more accurately represent the way people travel.

• Extend list of responses to Question 45 (Method of Travel to Work) by including additional modes of travel (such as ‘ride share’) to establish a longitudinal benchmark for emerging modes of travel and allow a more accurate representation of the way people travel. In this context, ‘ride-share’ to distinguish between ‘Car as Passenger’ as the driver is not from within the same household, and also between ‘Taxi’, as vehicle may not necessarily be licensed as such. It would include both mobility provided as a commercial service, and co-operative schemes for people (not from the same household) to travel together. We anticipate a clearer, more concise definition will be apparent closer to 2021.

At present, ABS Census Method of Travel to Work data (in conjunction with other Census transport data, such as Distance to Work and Number of Motor Vehicles) provides one of the most fundamental insights into the function of our transport system across the country. This data is heavily relied upon by local and state governments, transport practitioners, researchers and businesses:

• to understand the way people travel on a range of levels, from local areas to statewide and nationwide aggregates
• to measure the impact of transport interventions and initiatives
• to set policies, actions and targets for the transport function of their region, including monitoring
• to understand changes in the way we travel across different geographic areas and over time
• as a proxy for other measures, such as level of physical activity, economic vitality etc.


This data is used to underpin transport planning and infrastructure decisions and monitor changes in the way we travel. ‘Transport mode share’, usually derived from Method of Travel to Work data, is an international benchmark for understanding the way people move.

Changes in the method of travel to work can be identified by comparison between census years, and used to evaluate behavioural change and the effectiveness of infrastructure investment by government. With rapid changes emerging the nature of transport provision, tracking these changes and their implications for national investment, revenue and welfare is vital.

Method of Travel to Work (MTWP) data is used on a range of levels, from national and state transport decision-making to local transport projects and initiatives. There is no other source which provide a comprehensive insight into transport mode share for the entire country outside of the ABS Census, particularly regional areas. A population-wide dataset allows all areas of Australia to understand how their local community travels to a fine grain of detail.

Coupled with other ABS datasets, Method of Travel to Work can provide detailed and valuable insights to aid transport (and broader) planning for our communities. This could include:

• Place of Work data – to understand how workers travel, based on their place of work
• Place of Usual Residence/Enumeration data – to understand how residents travel, based on their place of residence
• Demographic/socio-economic data – to understand how various demographic or personal characteristics (such as income, need for assistance with core activities) may relate to, or impact, transport mode choice
• Employment data – to understand how people of various employments/occupations travel

Method of Travel to Work data is already collected under the ABS Census and respondents are familiar with answering the associated questions.

Changing the response option at Question 45 from ‘Walked only’ to ‘Walk’ would allow respondents to select walking in conjunction with other modes of transport. Existing instructional text for multiple modes would clarify the ability to choose walking in conjunction with other modes, providing a more accurate representation of the way people move in our communities. This is not considered a material change in the complexity of the question and would not detriment the quality or accuracy of the outputs, nor would the introduction of additional options such as ‘ride share’. 

Method of Travel to Work data is already collected under the ABS Census. The proposed changes would not impact upon the nature of the question, willingness to respond nor impact any specific groups. 

Method of Travel to Work data is already collected under the ABS Census. The proposed changes would introduce negligible difference in coding, but would create minor differences in the way data is presented (for example, ‘walking’ combined with other options in Table Builder, as well as additional modes such as ‘ride share’).

A small section of explanatory text may be required at Question 45 to explain ‘ride share’ to respondents.

These changes are not likely to introduce material complexity or cost to the additional Census questions.

Method of Travel to Work data is used by governments, transport practitioners and researchers to monitor the impacts of changes in various factors (infrastructure, land use, demographic shifts) on the transport network and the way we travel.

This monitoring requires data to be collected regularly, reliably and consistently over time. The importance of mode share for planning (particularly transport planning) will remain prevalent into the future, and the addition of mode options such as ‘ride share’ are likely to improve the relevance of these questions moving forward. 

You may wish to consider the following possible data sources and identify any barriers to access in your response.

• data which is collected for administrative purposes
• the topic is collected in an ABS survey or by another organisation
• data is produced through integration of existing data sources


There are other sources of transport mode share data, notably:

• ad-hoc or regular surveys, typically undertaken on an as-needs basis or on a small ‘sample’ scale
• state household travel surveys


However, these data sources can raise the following issues:

• Data represents a ‘sample’ and as such may not necessarily be representative of the population
• Inconsistency in the nature or regularity of data collection
• Uncertainty in the quality of data or quality control
• Inconsistency in sample sizes or characteristics of respondents (i.e. potential survey bias)
• Cost inefficiencies of many small surveys
• Unavailability of data for particular areas, particularly regional areas

Collection via the ABS Census remains the most effective, reliable and consistent way to collect this important transport and planning data. 

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