Development benefits
CONSIDER recent development of the Grampians Peaks Trail, eventual cost of around $30 million, along with the recent tourism report ‘Australian tourism industry is going gangbusters with a record 7.2 million international arrivals last year, and the mind boggles.
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Well thought out development within national parks can benefit the entire community.
DAVID STANNARD
Halls Gap
Legitimate concerns
COUNTRY Fire Authority volunteers are not attacking their conditions, but are concerned about the impact on the ability to perform their duties as they have in the past, without being controlled and hindered in their duties by the United Firefighters Union.
With respect, some union members have been acting like thugs – not all members.
The behaviour of the union secretary, Peter Marshall, is in question also.
Also, I would like to see how many hours the union members actually work, including their superannuation and age of retirement, compared to the rest of the workforce.
It would be great if we could have a premier who was honourable and governed for all, not just the union movement.
BRUCE McKAY
Ararat
Census wrapping up
WITH more than seven million household forms now received, or 80 per cent of Australian households, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has thanked the Australian public for getting behind the census.
We are now predicting that two million more households will have completed the census online in 2016 compared to the 2011 Census.
A total of 62 per cent of forms have been filled in online so far, compared to 33 per cent five years ago.
We commend the Australian public for embracing the digital approach to the census in 2016, and for their ongoing support. This clearly shows their understanding of the value of the census, for their community and the nation as a whole.
Remaining households that haven’t completed their census need to do so immediately.
Census forms are due. Our census field officers will continue to visit households that haven’t completed the census over the coming weeks.
If you haven’t yet completed the census, please go online or fill out a paper form now, and this will save a field officer from needing to visit you.
The information you provide will inform funding, planning and development of essential services and infrastructure in your community, so it’s important that everyone takes part to ensure you and your community benefit.
With census field officers now visiting close to three million homes, the reaction from Australians has been positive.
Our visits are providing the assistance required for households to complete the census, and have finalised one million households in the last week. We are on track for a very high quality census.
There are some situations where households who have completed the census will receive a visit from a field officer.
Visits to households that have taken part can happen for a variety of reasons, but commonly is due to the time it takes between completed paper forms being posted back and being registered at our secure data capture centre.
If anyone does receive reminder materials after responding, please contact the census inquiry service on 1300 214 531, lodge an online inquiry, or speak to a census field officer on their next visit so that we can resolve the matter as soon as possible”
For more information about the census, visit census.abs.gov.au
DUNCAN YOUNG
Head of 2016 Census
