The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) last month welcomed more than 50 key representatives, from government and community organizations, to discuss multicultural community engagement for the 2016 Census of Housing and Population on 9 August 2016.<\/p>\n
The Sydney based Census Multicultural Diversity forum provided representatives the opportunity to share their experiences with Census data, and highlight how good quality information benefits their community.<\/p>\n
Head of the 2016 Census Program, Duncan Young<\/strong> said the 2016 Census will play a critical role in understanding and supporting the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse communities.<\/p>\n \u201cAustralia is culturally rich and diverse. In 2011, more than 30 per cent of people were born overseas and more than 46 per cent of people have one or more parent born in another country,\u201d Mr Young said.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving the support of organizations that represent the diverse range of cultures in Australia is vital in assisting us to count everyone in Australia on Census night.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was great to hear enthusiastic representatives have their say on how we can better engage with their communities, and make sure everyone plays their part.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to ensure that this year\u2019s Census provides an accurate statistical snapshot of our nation, and quality data to support the allocation of funding and planning for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n Forum speakers and panellists discussed how Census data supports future funding decisions and services for multicultural communities in Sydney and throughout New South Wales.<\/p>\n Strategy and Community Engagement Manager from SBS, Lou Petrolo, said the 2016 Census will provide essential data for every community.<\/p>\n \u201cCensus data is a fundamental resource for multicultural organisations. It provides important information for planning, funding and multicultural services in the community,\u201d Mr Petrolo said.<\/p>\n The forum comes as the ABS seeks to recruit 754 Census Area Supervisors across New South Wales.<\/p>\n \u201cArea Supervisors play an integral role in helping us to count 10 million dwellings and approximately 24 million people in Australia on Census night.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople with different language skills are particularly encouraged to apply for these roles,\u201d Mr Young said.<\/p>\n