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jazzy 
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 Topic: NZ Census
Posted: 19 February 2011 at 2:55pm |
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We just how forms dropped off. It is for the 8th of March.
How do you feel about filling out these forms. Putting down your personal details for people to see & read (yes I know only certain people but still). Writing down your income, where you work, your religion, health problems, education, relationship (opposite or same sex). How many rooms you have, etc...
I think a lot of the information they want can be got from government departments, like BD&M, they must know how many benefits are paid out & how many working with the taxes they rake in. The must know how much is spent on acc & operations etc in the health sector.
Is it there lazy way of getting information?
Are you happy to supply it?
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blondy
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Posted: 19 February 2011 at 3:04pm |
If government departments knew how to communicate with each other, life would be much easier!  I believe the census data is collected by NZ Statistics (correct me if I'm wrong), and as such, they probably don't have access to any of the government info on people's personal details (and imagine the paperwork involved in getting consent to pass along the info!)
I see the census as being a snapshot of our society, and it does provide useful, detailed info about our communities 
Totally happy to provide our details, but then again, I've been involved in a long-term NZstatistics study that we had to give yearly very in-depth interviews to, so the census doesn't seem that invasive at all!
Plus, it provides a great resource for looking up geneology down the line...
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jazzy
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Posted: 19 February 2011 at 3:11pm |
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I just wonder how many don't fill it out or fill it out in correctly.
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blondy
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Posted: 19 February 2011 at 3:42pm |
you're right - and there was that incident back in the 2001 census where people wrote 'jedi' as their religion to see if they could get it officially recognised 
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Hopes
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Posted: 19 February 2011 at 5:06pm |
I'm fine with giving it. As I see it, it's not like any of the information I'm giving is information they couldn't get from somewhere else if they really wanted. So I don't mind telling StatsNZ or anything.
In theory, yes, they could get some of it other places if they wanted... but then again, I can see the headaches there. Some information would be a year or so old... and there would still be questions they'd have to ask me anyway, like my religion for example. It seems to me that asking everything at the same time is probably the most cost-effective anyway.
And as far as the Jedi thing goes, I guess that information still tells you a fair bit about those people's views on religion 
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MyLilSquishy
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Posted: 19 February 2011 at 5:18pm |
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i have no problem giving the info. its collected by NZ statistics and as far as im aware they dont have access to the govt details. agree with the snapshot comment... but at the same time... there will always be those people that provide incorrect information. which is where the 'average' and variations help.
IMO they just have to take it with a grain of salt. it would be the easiest way for them to compile the data instead of going to multiple govt depts. where the information would be old by the time they got it, this way they can just get it in one go...
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jazzy
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Posted: 19 February 2011 at 5:33pm |
My one is pretty boring & I have no problem filling it out.
Pity you have to get to question 20 when filling out kids ones, don't think it would of been too hard to add them to a parents form...
As least you can do it online now if you want.
It says on the dwelling one you can not list a pantry as a room, wish mine was that big, lol
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happymum21
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Posted: 19 February 2011 at 5:50pm |
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This year I'm working for Stats NZ on the Census. Now I understand more how they use the information provided I think it is valuable information. The information they use is for future planning, also businesses can use it to decide if their target market is likely to be in a certain area, used for planning future schools, public transport, health care etc etc etc.
I doubt very much that other government departments would be able to supply other information due to the privacy act and also it wouldn't necessarily be correct at the time of requesting the information from other government departments.
This year they really want to encourage online completion of forms. This is good as it's secure and quicker than filling out the paper forms so I highly recommend doing that.
Oh and interestingly enough, the information is that confidential that not even Police or Immigration can request the information (as far as respondents details go). One of the people who delivers census forms said that s/he went to a house and around the back there was a huge plantation of dope. S/he was quite concerned about this as a citizen but as a census employee s/he is prohibited from informing police about it. S/he had to pretend she didn't see anything. I guess it could be an eye opener in some places!
Edited by mum2alana
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jazzy
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Posted: 19 February 2011 at 6:08pm |
 mum2alana wrote:
This year I'm working for Stats NZ on the Census. Now I understand more how they use the information provided I think it is valuable information. The information they use is for future planning, also businesses can use it to decide if their target market is likely to be in a certain area, used for planning future schools, public transport, health care etc etc etc.
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interesting.
Do you know what happens to your address & name information. I can understand why they may want to know how many people living on a street & how many cars using that street but does it matter that Joe Blogs lives there?
How can people access the information? Can a business request a count of how many people living in the area or if a clinic was to be located in a area would they be able to access the ones that have ticked the box to say they have a disability?
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jazzy
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Posted: 19 February 2011 at 6:11pm |
mum2alana wrote:
Oh and interestingly enough, the information is that confidential that not even Police or Immigration can request the information (as far as respondents details go). One of the people who delivers census forms said that s/he went to a house and around the back there was a huge plantation of dope. S/he was quite concerned about this as a citizen but as a census employee s/he is prohibited from informing police about it. S/he had to pretend she didn't see anything. I guess it could be an eye opener in some places! |
I don't think that should be right, yes the information you supply in writing on the form should not be passed on for any other reason & your name & address should be confidential. But breaking the law should not.
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happymum21
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Posted: 19 February 2011 at 6:18pm |
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Here's a link regarding community uses of information. It will give you more information and it's quite interesting to look at your specific area to see what's been happening as a result of census data.
http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/about-2006-census/2006-census-comms-stories.aspx
As for your name and address information, I can't actually answer that as I am not sure myself. I do know that after census they do go on to interview people further depending on some answers to their census questions so perhaps it's so they can identify the right person if they need to ask further questions.
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happymum21
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Posted: 19 February 2011 at 6:25pm |
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ElfsMum
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Posted: 19 February 2011 at 6:37pm |
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yeah i agree with above.. while i see what you mean though jazzy..
i have no problem with it either..provides useful info and people can find anything about you these days with the click of a button unfortunately:(
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peanut butter
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Posted: 19 February 2011 at 6:47pm |
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If you ever do genealogy you will see the importance of knowing that Joe Bloggs lived at such and such a street at such and such a time. I dont think business can get personal info but they would be able to get the demographics. If you look on some of the reports available on qv.co.nz (for buying a house etc) it tells you things like, the spread of incomes, ethnicities, home ownership, education level etc...that all comes from census info.
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AngieBabe
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Posted: 19 February 2011 at 7:02pm |
The level and detail of sharing info collated from the census is ruled very strictly by the Privacy Act - so in the instances of businesses using census info to help with such things as marketing demographics, what is given to them would never be able to personally identify anyone. Hope that makes sense.
As someone else mentioned, Privacy Act also governs how Government departments share information - correct me if I'm wrong but for them to share to the level required for census there would have to be Parliamentary debate, and law changes.
Personally, I don't mind the census at all ... afterall, it provides DSs father with a job so he can pay child support
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tishy
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Posted: 19 February 2011 at 7:21pm |
blondy wrote:
I see the census as being a snapshot of our society, and it does provide useful, detailed info about our communities
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That's how I see it too. It's not just a 'population count', it's more about trying to create a snapshot of NZ as a whole.
My mum was a tourist in NZ during the last Census and had to fill it out at the motel she was staying at on the night.
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jazzy
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Posted: 19 February 2011 at 10:10pm |
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kiwisj
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Posted: 20 February 2011 at 2:26pm |
tishy wrote:
My mum was a tourist in NZ during the last Census and had to fill it out at the motel she was staying at on the night. |
That will be us this year 
I don't have a problem filling out the info at all either.
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SJ
Callum - Dec 2008
Daniel - Oct 2010
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mothermercury
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Posted: 20 February 2011 at 2:34pm |
Am I the only freak that likes filling out forms?
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ereynolds
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Posted: 20 February 2011 at 3:25pm |
mum2alana, me too- I'm also working on the Census in my area- just about to go out and do another round this avo.
hehe MissShell, you just might be!
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NZ Census
