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February 17, 2023
Cyclone blows away census preparation
Peter Verschaffelt
Posted On February 17, 2023
Download AudioStatistics New Zealand will decide today whether the Census can go ahead on March 7.
Māori manager Atawhai Tibble says census field workers were pulled back in response to Cyclone Garbrielle. it may be possible to do the count in some areas now and pick up the rest later.
“There are big parts of Aotearoa that are really impacted but not everybody. The impact on the South Island as compared to the North Island is vastly different. And the last thing people want, even if things look a bit better, you’re worrying about your household and your whānau and someone is knocking on your door saying ‘will you fill a form in?’ That’s not right,” he says.
Mr Tibble says a delay would be costly, and decisions need to be made today and then consulted on with stakeholders including the New Zealand Māori Council, Iwi Leaders Forum, Māori Womens Welfare League and regional Māori advisory groups.
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