Census 1996; The Changed Face of New Zealand

Te Papa - Museum of New Zealand, Wellington

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. It is a pleasure to be here today, as Minister of Immigration and on behalf of the Minister of Statistics, to mark the most in-depth, wide-ranging and "hi-tech" census in the history of New Zealand.

This census is the broadest snapshot we have of ourselves. It gives the most comprehensive record of how we have changed as a nation since the first New Zealand census was conducted in 1851.

The richness of census information, its regularity and accessibility to everyone is a critical component of the public accountability of government.

This census is particularly significant in its use of new technologies which has improved the gathering of information, and made it easier for the whole community to access and benefit from the information.

This technology shift is very timely.

Our society is changing faster than we can measure. Long held traditions, social structures and customs are being challenged by an exponential rate of change.

The typical New Zealand family is no longer mum, dad, two to four kids, a dog and a station wagon in a settled family home.

Now, one person households comprise 1 in 5 of the population and are growing faster than any others.

By the next census 50% of us will move and live at another address.

In addition the Maori population has changed dramatically. Their prospects as a race in just two generations have gone from a state of decline to a dynamic vibrancy that has seen Maori life expectancy, and more, latterly educational levels move strongly ahead.

On the surface, our population will grow little over the next fifty years. More critical are the factors which lie behind our population statistics - the demographic and social indicators of fertility, mortality, family formation, immigration and migration.

The future New Zealand population will be older with a more mature workforce.

We have significant thinking to do about what elements of population change we can influence - and whether we want or need to.

In November this year the Government is holding an important conference here at Te Papa - the Population Conference which will take a hard look at who we are as New Zealanders and where we are going as a country.

The 1996 Census was the most comprehensive undertaken, and that information will be an important feature of the conference.

It means we will be armed with the latest research and facts about current and future demographics, as we set out to discuss and debate the economic, social and international issues relating to population change and immigration in New Zealand.

We're expecting about 300 participants, including representatives from the academic world, central and local government, the business sector, education, health, Maori and ethnic groups, social service and community sectors.

It promises to be a fascinating and significant event, backed up by thorough research and comprehensive information, and featuring some first class experts as speakers.

Census data and population statistics are used widely in Government planning and policy making. But it is not only central Government which needs statistics and census information.

Businesses, the community, industry, local government, the academic world and individuals all make use of such data. For business, census data is an important tool which is used to provide meaning and identification of potential client populations.

Statistics New Zealand produces an extensive range of printed publications. These publications are widely used by both the community and business and are also available free of cost through major libraries.

But, although the age of the printed word is not gone, new technology plays an increasingly important role.

On February 23, 1996 the census help line became live, coinciding with the delivery of the first census forms. In one month 30 operators took more than 120,000 calls on how to complete census forms. This was supported by a geo-coding which allowed requests for forms to be coded, and quickly sent to residential addresses/district. Telecom has acknowledged since the event, that the helpline was the largest undertaking of this type they have been involved with.

Statistics New Zealand also established an impressive CD collection - a total of 3,400 - to store scanned images of census forms. During the census month two scanners ran for 16 hours a day handling around 89,000 forms each day.

Perhaps more importantly than information gathering and processing, technology plays a crucial role in the delivery of that information to the community.

Our children are already technologically sophisticated, communicating globally from their classrooms.

In this new, fast moving age of electronic communication, no organisation can afford to ignore new technology in order to provide information in a smart and relevant way.

I understand the Internet is to become Statistics New Zealand's main gateway for the delivery of statistics. That puts statistics information at people's fingertips 24 hours -7 days a week.

We have a number of private sector data providers with us today. They bring with them a wealth of innovation from around the world.

Information access is an increasingly competitive service. Strong relationships with service providers are as critical to the government as they are to other organisations.

Already, Statistics New Zealand information services have become interlinked with these major information channels.

The resourcing of the technology input by government demonstrates our Government's commitment to the production of useful and authoritative statistics.

The production of reliable and definitive data is a crucial planning tool in ensuring informed decisions can be made to lead the nation into the 21st century.

I am delighted to support the Minister of Statistics in this major upgrading of the Statistics New Zealand technological base over the last three years.