Thanks to Australians for their enthusiastic embrace of the census, which reflects its importance to Australians and to the nation.

Since letters starting arriving late last week, our phone lines have received over 500,000 calls from people asking questions about the census and requesting paper forms.

This clearly shows that Australians are acting now in huge numbers so they can take part in this year’s census, rather than waiting to be reminded or for the bureau to follow up.

However, we recognise the keen interest in participation from Australians has led to frustration for many, with some people not able to get in contact with our general inquiry service and automated paper form request service during peak periods.

There have been higher than anticipated volumes of calls during peak periods, and we apologise for any inconvenience and ask people to keep trying.

We have expanded our capacity and extended our hours, and will extend these further next week.

The paper request form is open 24 hours so you can call outside of business hours and on the weekend.

Paper forms will be sent out priority post so will get there in plenty of time before census night.

Households that are yet to receive anything should wait as it is likely that cbensus material is already on its way.

As with previous censuses, all households will have what they need to complete their form online or on paper by census night.

If you do not complete your census on census night, August 9, you will not be fined from August 10.

Following census night, we will remind people who haven’t yet taken part that they still can.

We will be giving people ample opportunity to complete their census in the weeks following census night.

From mid-August, census field officers will visit houses that haven’t completed their census to remind and assist residents to complete their form.

The bureau has always done everything possible to ensure that people are counted as part of the census, with fines always being the last option – in 2011, out of 20 million people counted in the census, fewer than 100 people were fined.

Anyone who has received their census letter containing their 12-digit login number can complete their census online now.

The online form is easy, safe and secure and has more than enough capacity to handle the majority of Australians going online on August 9.

Just remember that census forms must be completed in relation to census night.

The census inquiry service is open from 8.30am to 10pm daily on 1300 214 531

The paper form request service is open 24/7 on 1300 820 275.

For further information on the 2016 census, visit census.abs.gov.au

Data collected from the 2016 census will support funding decisions for services and infrastructure including housing, transport, education, industry, hospitals, and the environment.

The change in the approach to the census in 2016 is reducing paper used by 327,000 kg or 5000 trees, allowing data to be released two months earlier and reducing the cost of the census overall by over $100-million.

The first Australian census was in 1911 on the night of April 2.

There were subsequent censuses in 1921, 1933, 1947, 1954 and 1961.

In 1961 the five-year period was introduced.

Censuses are held on the second Tuesday of August.

DUNCAN YOUNG

Head of Census Program