City planning needs up-to-date data on where people work, how they get to work and how far they travel. Normally the census provides that, but this time round our biggest cities were in lockdown.
According to the 2021 Census there are now almost one million Indigenous people in Australia. Although increase in population is a reason for this, there are some other factors to consider.
A growing, more diverse population, less religion, more First Nations people and a picture of the long-term health of Australians. But who’s doing the housework?
The census includes an increase in the number of people who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, but it lacks details about other ways they may identity and how they live.
Peter Martin, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
India is now the third-largest birthplace of Australian residents behind Australia and England, while for the first time less than half of the population has identified as Christian.
Switching web service providers and providing almost $40 million from the federal budget means the census 2021 website should be safe from crashing at the crucial time this evening.
Australia lacks a coherent national approach to planning where settlement and growth happens. It’s time to take stock of our cities and regions and work together to improve outcomes across the nation.
Accurate data on Australians’ gender and sexual identity helps governments make good policy – and, importantly, ensures those communities are seen and recognised.