May 16, 2023
Flaxroots partners try to up census count
The director of the census collection for Māori says it’s all hands to the pump as Stats NZ tries to complete the five-yearly count.
Atawhai Tibble says as of 9 am Monday, 4,485,774 people have completed forms online or on paper.
That included just over seven in ten Māori – still short of the 95 percent target.
The department is now contacting agencies working in the flax roots to help round up the stragglers.
“Getting that last three is hard. We’re calling on our partners to help us, all our whanau. This is where the crown is broadening its reach. It’s no longer the only show in town. Whānau Ora, we’ve got John Tamihere and their team up in Auckland helping us, all hands to the pump,” Mr Tibble says.
The census has been extended into June for whanau in cyclone-affected areas.