This year’s print run of the 2016 census – completed by Print Media Group (PMG) – is expected to be cut by more than two thirds as the ABS moves Australians online applications in a bid to save costs.
Last time around IPMG printed some 14.5 million 16pp census forms. The ABS is not saying how many are being printed this time but it is likely to be only a third of that amount, with the ABS saying two thirds of households will fill on online.
However a significant percentage of households are rejecting the online version with ABS phone lines jammed with requests for paper forms. Those include the elderly and those with privacy concerns.
The push for online is said to save taxpayers some $100m in paper, production and distribution costs this year.
PMG won the coveted Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) census tender last August, and is slated to produce some 327 tonnes less material as the government promotes a transition to online surveys.
According to the ABS, the 2016 census is expected to be completed online by 65 per cent of Australians. This year the government also chalked up the penalties awarded to those refusing to fill in the survey, fining citizens up to $180 per day after census night on August 9.
[Related: PMG wins census contract]
A spokesperson from the ABS told ProPrint the Bureau collected figures from the 2011 census to pinpoint communities with limited internet access to send paper forms.
However many members the elderly community are left anxious after not receiving paper forms in the mail and the prospect of needing to fill out forms over the internet.
The ABS also sent out eight million letters to Australians containing the 12 digit login needed to access the online census surveys.
The contract is PMG’s third census since winning the tender in 2006. The ABS remained tight lipped on the amount of paper forms distributed across Australia, but it is understood to be significantly lower than 2011’s 14.5 million 18pp forms.
ProPrint contacted PMG director Leo Moio about the weight of this year’s census, but he was unavailable for comment.
Upon winning the contract last year, Moio told ProPrint he was unconvinced the ABS would meet its target for reduced printing and believed the contract would be worth more if it had to order more forms.
Moio’s premonition proved correct after Liberal admitted over 400,000 requests for paper forms have been received – causing the 24-hour ABS phone lines to jam and alarming those unable to complete the online surveys.
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