Funding concerns if census scrapped
City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Mayor Ron Yuryevich has warned regional areas would be hit hardest if the Federal Government scraps the national census.
The Abbott Government is considering abandoning the 2016 census, due to go ahead on August 9, in favour of a smaller “cost-effective” survey.
The move originated with the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which has asked for the survey to be held once every 10 years rather than every five.
With the 2011 census costing $440m, the move has been pitched as a cost-saving measure for the Commonwealth.
However, Mr Yuryevich said the data gathered from the national survey was vital for planning by local governments, development organisations and private enterprise in the region.
He pointed to the importance of census population data in deciding funding allocated under the Commonwealth’s Financial Assistance Grants to local government.
“That would be my concern, if (the census) is going to be cancelled how do we get that (population) data and how will funds be allocated to the 600-odd local governments around Australia,” he said.
“It leaves a lot of unanswered questions.”
Mr Yuryevich, who is also the chairman of the Goldfields Voluntary Regional Organisation of Councils and the WA Regional Capitals Alliance, said it was regional areas which would be hardest hit by an absence of information.
“Sure, the Government would know how many people live in the cities, but it’s the regions that they seem to have disregard for,” he said.
“If they are thinking about that, then I’d be very keen to be told how they are actually going to collect data, particularly in regards to the regions.”
Federal Member for O’Connor Rick Wilson stressed that a decision was yet to be made regarding the census, but said the government was looking at “cost-effective” alternatives.
“When you’re looking at spending nearly half a billion dollars to gather information, it’s incumbent on a responsible Government to look for cheaper options,” Mr Wilson said.
“We want and need high-quality demographic information. The question is how’s the best way to glean that information and the most cost-effective way?”
Mr Wilson said he believed accurate information within a “small margin of error” could be gleaned from a small sample size of 400 people in the region.
