Warren King is a proud Kalkadoon man, and Census Engagement Manager for the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in the Mount Isa and Gulf Regions.

He’s passionate about helping his community and region be Census-ready, and understand the importance of being counted.

“It’s important for our mob to complete the Census. We need to be counted so our stories can be told and heard,” Warren said.

“The Census is about making sure we get an accurate count of our communities. It’s about having the right numbers to address local needs - from transport in remote areas to health clinics and mums and bubs’ programs.”

Warren wants more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to apply for remote Census jobs as part of this years’ Census. The job involves supporting local communities to understand the Census and to complete their forms. Employing local staff who know and understand their community and the languages they speak is key to these roles.

“Who better to know our communities, our towns and our regions, than our own people from those same communities,” Warren said.

A big part of the role is helping people understand why completing the Census is important, and addressing myths around what Census data is used for.

Warren and other Census staff also want their communities to know that personal information in the Census isn’t shared with anyone.

Remote Census staff have been in communities helping people fill in Census forms throughout July and will continue in August 2021.

“I love the fact I am working with passionate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Census team members who have a common goal, and that is to get an accurate count of every person and every home in Australia,” Warren said.

“What I enjoy most about working on the Census is being able to engage with our mob one-on-one, in groups and in communities, and to hear their views.”

Speak to the Census people in your remote community in August and join the team or visit the Census jobs page for more information.