Pacific, Māori urged to complete Census forms to get crucial Government funding

Pacific people are being urged to fill in their Census forms online before Thursday, after Stats NZ revealed the response rate from people of Pacific ethnicity were one of the lowest in the country.

According to Stats NZ, as of May 1, only 73% of people with Pacific ethnicity had completed the Census.

The only ethnicity with a lower response rate was Māori with 70%.

It’s estimated that as much as three out of every 10 people of Pacific ethnicity are yet to return a form.

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Tongan community leader Pakilau Manase Lua urged those that hadn’t filled out an online form to do so.

“A lot of people aren’t aware of the importance of the Census, Pasifika and Māori especially. This is how resources are divided according to population,” Lua said.

Census data is used by national and local government agencies – along with iwi, community groups, businesses and researchers – to better understand populations and plan and fund services and infrastructure.

South Auckland, heavily populated with Pacific people, had a low turnout in the 2018 Census.

Counties Manukau District Health Board has lost $130m in health funding in its last four years due to the low turnout, money that could have helped tacklediabetes and obesity.

Te Whatu Ora chief financial officer Rosalie Percival said getting people to provide their details is vital to ensure areas like Counties Manukau get the healthcare services they need.

“Health providers know about the people who turn up at their door needing care – but they have no other way of knowing about the presence of people who haven’t recently needed to use the health system,” she said.

Pacific health leader Sir Collin Tukuitonga said for an area like South Auckland that has always had inadequate services, filling out Census forms was important.

“It’s boring, but it is important because funding for heath, education and government services depend on the number of people living in the area,” Tukuitonga said.

He said past Censuses have always undercounted the most vulnerable communities, and it was worse this year.

“Covid 19 might have some bearing on people not having confidence [and] fear around their information getting into the wrong hands.

“It’s best to encourage people to complete the forms, because while it’s hard to see it from a personal view, it impacts the availability of services, money from government to look after high-needs Pacific people.”

Thursday is the last day people can complete a Census form online, before receiving a final notice, and risk being fined up to $2000.

Census collectors will stay in areas most affected by Cyclone Gabrielle in the Far North, Te Tairāwhiti and Hawkes Bay regions until June 1.

Deputy government statistician and deputy chief executive of Census and collections operations, Simon Mason, said people will still be able to complete Census forms online during May.

There will also be public events for face-to-face support for those that received a final notice. These events will run till June 4.