Every five years, the Census helps the Australian Government, as well as other important organisations, decide how to best support different communities throughout Australia. For example, the RFDS use the Census information to know what health services are needed in rural and remote areas.
The Census data also helps Aboriginal community-controlled health services know where people are, and what they need to help improve their health and wellbeing.
One of the examples of how Census data can help comes from Orange Aboriginal Medical Service (OAMS). The OAMS used Census data for their local region to help them get funding to open the Walu-win Wellbeing Centre. Walu-win is helping locals get the support they need from many services, like medical, housing and employment. These services are so important in helping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people thrive in regional and remote locations.
The Australian Census began this week on Tuesday 10 August – so don’t forget to send in your answers! Visit the Census 2021 website at census.abs.gov.au for more information.