A locally led, nationally supported, taskforce has been established to deliver the 2023 Census in the Hawke’s Bay and Te Tairāwhiti, Stats NZ said today.

The census collection in the Hawke’s Bay and Te Tairāwhiti has been extended to June 2023, to enable people to prioritise family wellbeing, their homes, and their businesses following the devastating impact of Cyclone Gabrielle.

“We are taking our time to connect with local iwi and hapū, and with community organisations and leaders, to plan how to collect the census in our communities impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle and flooding events.

“The aim is to deliver an approach so each community can be counted in the 2023 Census, in ways that work best for them,” said Te Ahu Kauawhi taskforce lead, Annette Papuni-McLellan.

“We have named the taskforce ‘Te Ahu Kauawhi’ which means to extend an embrace because that is the approach on-the-ground census teams want to lead with, with their local communities. As locals, they understand what people have been dealing with, and Te Ahu Kauawhi will focus effort and support in ways considerate of people’s situations.”

Census collection activities will commence gradually from early April, on a localised basis informed by community partnerships and insights. Oncestarted, census collectors will be in affected communities where needed until 1 June 2023.

“The plan is to provide as much support as people want or need,” said Annette.

“We will minimise the impact on people, attempting to complete the census in one visit from a census collector, with help available to complete census forms in your home if needed.

“Or people can choose to do the census online or attend one of the many census events that will be run to help people take part in the census. We are taking the lead of iwi, community organisations, and regional employers to deliver these.”

A list of local events is available on the census website; this will be updated as additional events are confirmed.

Completing the census is an opportunity for people to help shape the future of their region and Aotearoa New Zealand.

“Our aim from the outset has been for the 2023 Census to be the most inclusive yet and Te Ahu Kauawhi, alongside the iwi-collection efforts of Toitū Tairāwhiti and Te Whānau ā Apanui, will help those in areas affected by recent weather events be counted,” said Deputy Government Statistician and Deputy Chief Executive Census and Collection Operations, Simon Mason.

“At its heart, the census is about community and whānau. It is about people and what they need. The census gives the most complete picture of our communities and helps iwi, community groups, councils, government, and businesses make decisions about the funding and location of infrastructure, services, and support needed by communities.

“This is even more important in times of recovery from events like Cyclone Gabrielle. Ultimately, census data will contribute to the long-term recovery of these regions.”

In the rest of the country, census collectors are currently following up with people who have not yet completed the census.

If people haven’t done the census yet, they don’t need to wait for a census collector. People with internet access can do the census online now in English and Māori. Just request an access code at www.census.govt.nz or call 0800 236 787.People can request paper forms and information in multiple languages and formats.

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