Confusion as households receive two census letters

Tuesday, 28 February 2023

New Zealand households will receive two census letters with different access codes.

As the census kicks off around the country, there has been confusion as households receive a second letter with a second code to complete their census forms.

A number of people have contacted Stuff to say they received two letters in the mail for this year’s census, each with a different unique code allowing them to participate in the online survey.

Stats NZ said on Tuesday that from Monday, almost 1.4 million households were being mailed a letter reminding people to complete their census forms by March 7, which provided a second, different access code.

Households can use the new access code or the one provided in the original census pack. Both are valid and private to their address, Stats NZ said.

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“Households where census collectors have delivered census packs will also get a second letter.

“This is not an error, but part of the planned process for the 2023 Census,” Stats NZ said.

Stats NZ introduced the second pre-census letter following a 2022 field test for the 2023 Census.

There was also a possibility that people had contacted census to request another access code or letter, which could explain a second access code being granted, a Stats NZ spokesperson said.

Households that received two letters with different census codes were advised to use one code and dispose of the other.

Lower Hutt resident Phil Spray was concerned after receiving two letters with different access codes, one this week and one the week before.

Spray had been concerned that theoretically multiple households could enter data to the census twice, skewing the statistics.

“I could go online with my second number now and enter in totally different information, but it would be identified back to the same address, which strikes me as being rather insecure.”

A Stats NZ spokesperson said Stats NZ had processes for confirming duplicate entries for a household, and to ensure data from the census was the best quality possible.

New Plymouth resident Sue Garvey had received two letters with unique census codes in the mail.

Garvey said this was concerning as taxpayers would be paying for the extra postage of the letters, which was “careless”.

“I've chatted to a few people and they sort of feel the same way that you know, like it is a waste of paper and money.”

New Zealand’s census is held every five years and records data such as population and housing.

People could order paper forms if they preferred, by contacting 0800 CENSUS (0800 236 787).

CORRECTION: This story has been amended following updated information from Stats NZ (Amended February 28, 2023 at 4.30pm)