21 Aug 2014

Convictions for Census form failures

12:45 pm on 21 August 2014

It has been revealed that 46 people have been convicted for not filling out their Census forms.

Statistics New Zealand said most charges were for not completing either the individual or the dwelling form, resulting in fines ranging from $50 to $500.

Census manager Gareth Meech said filling out the survey was a legal requirement for everyone in New Zealand.

The threat of legal action was enough to get a number of people to complete their forms, and some charges were eventually withdrawn, he said.

The number of convictions has jumped by five from the 2006 Census, when 41 people were charged.

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