The Australian Census is nearly upon us and it is a vital opportunity for the bike riding community to record our bike commutes and ensure our governments are getting accurate information about how Australians travel.
So make sure when you sit down on Tuesday 10 August, take care to record all the information that the document requires.
And as it is now online, and you can fill in some of the information in advance of the night, it is actually easy to complete.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics conducts the Census every five years, counting every person and household in Australia—about 25 million people in 10 million households.
Governments and businesses use the information to make important decisions about transport, schools, health care, roads and buildings and help plan local services.
State Government and councils use the data to get a perspective on where population is growing and what mode of travel is being used.
They can compare the data to previous census records and analyse trends and changes, and forecast future demand.
The Census is just one element of the data that is required to properly plan for bikes: regular traffic counts, travel surveys and other studies are important.
And as the Census is always in August when the weather is at its worst in the southern states, it considerably under-represents the level of bike commuting, especially on a stormy day.
But as seasoned riders know, there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.
So, for sure, there will be riders out on the streets of Australia going to and from work or education on Tuesday the 10th.
That’s an achievement worthy of recording in the Census.
All the information about the Census is here.
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