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"Unidentified life form" found off New Zealand coast

Ah, the deep sea, where the mysteries of the ocean lurk in the shadows, waiting to be discovered by intrepid marine scientists armed with nets, trawls and a healthy dose of confusion... Recently, a team of brave souls embarked on a journey off the coast of New Zealand, armed with curiosity and a fervent desire to find Nemo's distant relatives. What they found, however, was not just Nemo's cousins – but a veritable treasure trove of potential new species. Or at least, they think so. In a saga that could rival any aquatic adventure film, the scientists stumbled upon approximately 100 potential new species, including one particularly enigmatic life form that has left them scratching their heads in bewilderment. Initially mistaking it for a sea star – or perhaps a particularly flamboyant sea cucumber – they now suspect it might be a deep-sea coral. Or a cosmic jellyfish. Or a lost prop from a sci-fi movie. The possibilities are as endless as the ocean itself. Dr Michela Mitchell, a taxonomist with a penchant for the dramatic, declared it could be "a whole new group outside of the octocoral." Because why settle for identifying just one species when you can potentially create an entire taxonomic order? Dr Daniel Moore, another member of the expedition and self-proclaimed captain of the confusion ship, confessed, "We can't even describe it to family." One can only imagine the perplexed expressions at family gatherings as they attempt to explain their latest discovery: "Well, it's sort of like a sponge, but not really. And it might have tentacles. Or wings. We're not entirely sure." Their research vessel, the Tangaroa, became a floating laboratory of befuddlement as they collected nearly 1,800 samples from the abyssal depths. Armed with modified sleds and a healthy dose of optimism, they trawled the ocean floor, hoping to snag the elusive creatures that lurked below. "It was true exploration, very exciting," Dr Moore boasted, his enthusiasm undiminished by the fact that they still couldn't definitively identify half of what they'd found. Among their discoveries was a new species of fish, dubbed the "eelpout", which was "instantly recognised as being different to the others." Because, apparently, it had a flair for the dramatic and refused to conform to traditional fish norms. In a surprising revelation, Dr Moore admitted, "Finding new vertebrates is rare." One can only assume that the eelpout, upon hearing this declaration, puffed out its chest (or whatever passes for a chest in fish anatomy) and proclaimed itself the king of the ocean. As the expedition came to a close, the scientists reflected on the vastness of the ocean and the infinitesimal fraction of its inhabitants they had encountered. With only 240,000 species identified out of an estimated 2.2 million, they realised they had barely scratched the surface. Or, in this case, the sea floor. And so, armed with their nets, their sleds, and their unshakeable sense of optimism, the intrepid scientists set sail once more, ready to delve deeper into the mysteries of the ocean and perhaps stumble upon another baffling creature that defies explanation. After all, what's science without a little bit of confusion? Image: Ocean-Census | NIWA

International Travel

Mental health issues the most common long-term health condition in Australia

<div> <div class="copy"> When the 2021 census went out to all Australians on August 10 last year, it introduced a question asking about people’s diagnosed long-term health conditions. Now, the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-conditions-and-risks/health-census/latest-release" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">first data from the census</a> has been released and, maybe unsurprisingly, it tells us that mental health conditions are the most prevalent long-term health conditions affecting Australians today. Over eight million people – about one-third of the population – reported having a long-term health condition. But mental health surpassed all other chronic illnesses in prevalence, with over 2.2 million people disclosing that they have a mental health condition. That’s roughly 1 in 12 Australians. These findings highlight a need to invest in not only physical healthcare, but to take urgent action in Australia’s mental health system to meet the increasing demand for services. “When it comes to mental healthcare, we’re just at the beginning of ensuring that we have good, high-quality services available, and the staff for them,” says Dr Tamara Cavenett, president of the Australian Psychological Society (APS). “And I think that the data actually shows that we’re not managing Australian’s mental healthcare in the way that we should,” <h2>Gendered perceptions</h2> “When you work in the mental health field, it’s not surprising that it’s such a prevalent long-term health condition,” says Dr Madelyne Bisby, a postdoctoral research fellow at the eCentreClinic at Macquarie University, a specialist research clinic providing online mental health treatments. In fact, according to <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/first-insights-national-study-mental-health-and-wellbeing-2020-21" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">insights</a> from the first cohort of the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/first-insights-national-study-mental-health-and-wellbeing-2020-21" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing</a> (NSMHW) – also conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics – in 2020-21 there were 3.4 million Australians aged 16-85 years (17%) who saw a health professional for their mental health. But delving a little deeper into the census data reveals that roughly 60% of Australians diagnosed with a mental health condition were women, highlighting long-standing gendered differences in how people perceive mental health – and how they ask for help. “As a clinical psychologist, we often see more women than we do men,” explains Bisby. “What they feel comfortable reporting can quite possibly reflect the stigma that still exists around saying that you have an issue around your mental health if you’re male,” adds Cavenett. “And we also know that the traditional services that we provide for men aren’t necessarily tailored to working with men.” According to Cavenett these findings highlight the need for more research into how treatments and services can be tailored to make men feel more comfortable to seek out help. <h2>The pandemic and mental health</h2> The highest proportions of diagnosed mental health conditions were seen in people aged 20-34 years, supporting findings from the NSMHW that younger Australians (16-34 years) are more likely to experience high or very high levels of psychological distress than older Australians. “We know that adolescence and young adulthood is the time when a lot of mental health disorders do emerge for the first time,” explains Bisby. But Cavenett also thinks that the trend might reflect mental health issues created or <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/mental-health-during-covid/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic</a>, in terms of a lack of employment opportunities and social interaction. “What we know is that social contact is much more necessary the younger that you are. That doesn’t mean that it’s not important when you’re older, but that the need and the frequency is much higher in a younger age group,” says Cavenett. “One of the key features of lockdown is that it takes away a lot of people’s coping resources, a lot of the things they do to stay mentally well – seeing friends in person, being able to go out and be social, and do the things that really bring meaning and value to your life,” adds Bisby. These higher proportions of diagnosed mental health conditions may also reflect changing attitudes towards mental health in younger Australians – revealing a greater willingness to respond to and report mental health issues in the age group. “They’re certainly comfortable accessing help and saying that they have a problem,” says Cavenett. “But it’s also causing a much greater demand on the system and the supply of psychologists to actually provide services. And that’s a real worry.” <h2>Demand is increasing, but not the supply</h2> The 2021 census is finally providing national data on long-term health conditions across the entire population, and this will be critical in informing delivery of healthcare services to all Australians. “There’s a greater emphasis on chronic health conditions now as well, which is super important,” says Bisby. But the data underlines a need for government to make a greater investment in supporting mental healthcare in particular, especially in the training of new psychologists to meet an increasing demand. <a href="https://psychology.org.au/about-us/news-and-media/media-releases/2022/unpaid,-underfunded-and-overworked-psychologists-o" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">According to the APS</a>, only 35% of the Government’s psychology workforce target listed in the <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/nmhspf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Mental Health Service Planning Framework</a> is being met. What does this mean in practice? According to Cavenett, in a pre-pandemic world only around one in 100 psychologists had closed their books to new patients. But now, that number is down to one in three. “If you try and attempt to make an appointment with a psychologist, you’ve got a far less chance today of being able to get one in a reasonable and a timely fashion,” explains Cavenett. It takes 6-8 years of training to become a psychologist in Australia, but Cavenett says students are dropping out after five or more years of study because training places are so scarce due to a lack of higher education funding. “Until that’s addressed, we are essentially looking at increasing demand over time – and less and less psychologists able to meet that demand,” concludes Cavenett. Image credits: Getty Images  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=196520&title=Mental+health+issues+the+most+common+long-term+health+condition+in+Australia" width="1" height="1" /> </div> <div id="contributors"> This article was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/mental-health-conditions-australia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Imma Perfetto. </div> </div>

Mind

Yet again, the census shows women are doing more housework. Now is the time to invest in interventions

The Australian Census numbers have been released, showing women typically do <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/community-profiles/2021/AUS/download/GCP_AUS.xlsx">many more hours of unpaid housework</a> per week compared to men. It’s not a new development. In <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3310114.nsf/home/2016+Census+National">2016</a>, the “typical” Australian man spent less than five hours a week on domestic work, while the “typical” Australian woman spent between five and 14 hours a week on domestic work. Before that, the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/7d12b0f6763c78caca257061001cc588/c0e6e1069c8d24e9ca257306000d5b04!OpenDocument">2006 census</a>showed, again, that more of the domestic workload is shouldered by women. So, in the 15 years since the Australian Census <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/census-to-count-unpaid-work-20060226-ge1ty0.html">started collecting</a> unpaid housework time, women are shown to do more than men. Every. Single. Time. What is unique about these latest census numbers is Australians filled out their surveys during one of the greatest disruptors to work and home life – the COVID pandemic. <h2>Pandemic pressures</h2> We have a breadth of <a href="https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?hl=en&user=EHPbrxgAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">research</a> showing the pandemic disrupted women’s – especially mothers’ – work and family lives, in catastrophic ways. Economic closures knocked women out of employment at <a href="https://arts.unimelb.edu.au/the-policy-lab/projects/projects/worsening">higher rates to men</a>, forcing them to rely more heavily on their savings and stimulus payments to make ends meet. All this while managing intensified housework, childcare and homeschooling. The <a href="https://read.dukeupress.edu/demography/article/59/1/1/286878/Research-Note-School-Reopenings-During-the-COVID">transition</a> to remote and hybrid learning meant mothers, not fathers, reduced their workloads to meet these newfound demands. Fathers picked up the slack in the home – doing <a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-forced-australian-fathers-to-do-more-at-home-but-at-the-same-cost-mothers-have-long-endured-154834">more housework</a> at the start of the pandemic and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1097184X21990737">holding it</a> over time. Yet, as my colleagues Brendan Churchill and Lyn Craig <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gwao.12497">show</a>, fathers increased their housework but so did mothers, meaning the gender gap in that time remained. So, while men should be applauded for doing more during the unique strains of the pandemic, we <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gwao.12727">show</a> mothers were the true heroes of the pandemic, stepping into added labour at the expense of their health and well-being. Quite simply, the pandemic placed unparalleled pressures on Australian families. So it is perhaps no surprise our surveys are showing <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/the-juggle-is-real-parents-want-greater-flexibility-in-return-to-office-20220325-p5a820.html">Australians are burnt out</a>. (As discussed in <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-give-mum-chocolates-for-mothers-day-take-on-more-housework-share-the-mental-load-and-advocate-for-equality-instead-182330">previous articles</a>, the chore divide in same-sex relationships is generally found to be more equal. But some critiques suggests even then, equality may suffer <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/16/upshot/same-sex-couples-divide-chores-much-more-evenly-until-they-become-parents.html">once kids are involved</a>.) <h2>Time for action</h2> So, where to now? We pay upwards of <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mediareleasesbyReleaseDate/1B9C46E8DBFC05FFCA25847D0080F9A2?OpenDocument">$640 million dollars</a> every five years to document Australia through the census. And, in each of these surveys we find the same result – women are doing more housework than men. This <a href="https://theconversation.com/sorry-men-theres-no-such-thing-as-dirt-blindness-you-just-need-to-do-more-housework-100883">parallels decades of research</a> showing women do more housework, even when they are employed full-time, earn more money and especially <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2008.00479.x">once kids hit</a>the scene. Men have increased their <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-21635-5_2">housework</a> and <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/aifs-conference/fathers-and-work">childcare contributions</a> over time and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00113921211012737?journalCode=csia&fbclid=IwAR0Vgrre91fTarMY_EFLmDl1iJk7hPms6p3FhfM0E0y52Bbe9bZqmJ7Gs1A">younger men want</a> to be more present, active and attentive in the home. Simply put: men want to step into greater care giving and women are suffering from “doing it all”. We have documented these trends for decades – enough. Now it is time for action. <h2>Creating a fair future</h2> These are the critical questions we are asking through <a href="https://www.unimelb.edu.au/futureofwork">The Future of Work Lab</a> at the University of Melbourne – how do we create a future that is fair to everyone, including women and mothers? A few key projects illuminate some of the next steps towards clear interventions. The first is to provide Australian families with a comprehensive safety net to support their care-giving lives. All of us will be, at some point, called upon to care for a loved one, friend, family member or colleague. At these moments, work becomes difficult and housework demands soar. So, providing <a href="https://theconversation.com/if-were-serious-about-supporting-working-families-here-are-three-policies-we-need-to-enact-now-105490">care-giving resources</a> beyond just paid time off is critical. This underscores the need for <ul> <li>universal free high-quality childcare</li> <li>paid caregiver leave, and/or </li> <li>better and longer term cash payments for caregivers.</li> </ul> Second, we need comprehensive policies that allow <a href="https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/flexible-families-workplace-equality">men to step</a> into care-giving roles without fear of retribution and penalty at work. Australians work more <a href="https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=AVE_HRS">annual hours</a>, on average, than their Canadian and United Kingdom counterparts, working hours more similar to the overwork culture of the United States. And, only <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/may/28/only-one-in-20-fathers-take-primary-parental-leave-in-australia">one in 20 Australian fathers</a> take paid parental leave following childbirth, an abysmal rate relative to other high-income countries. We can do better. The pandemic created the space for many men to step into larger care-giving roles with great pleasure and showed workplaces that flexible work is feasible. Next, the Australian workplace must become more supportive of men’s right to care. <h2>Unpaid domestic work and the mental load</h2> Finally, we must redress the challenges of unpaid domestic work and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/planning-stress-and-worry-put-the-mental-load-on-mothers-will-2022-be-the-year-they-share-the-burden-172599">mental load</a> on women’s physical, mental and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13668803.2021.2002813">economic health and well-being</a>. Perhaps tech holds some solutions. The demand is clearly there with some super impressive women building out concrete tech solutions to reduce the mental load and unpaid domestic work - like <a href="https://getmelo.app/">Melo’s mental load app</a> or <a href="https://www.yohana.com/">Yohana’s virtual concierges</a>. Others are using old tech solutions – like <a href="https://www.fairplaylife.com/the-cards">Eve Rodsky’s Fair Play</a> cards – to help couples equalise the often unseen, and undervalued household chores. We are working on a research project to understand the impact of these different resources on families’ unpaid domestic loads and lives more broadly. The census is valuable in showing us we remain unchanged. But, now, is a time to invest in intervention and innovation to make us better versions of ourselves into the future. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/yet-again-the-census-shows-women-are-doing-more-housework-now-is-the-time-to-invest-in-interventions-185488" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Home Hints & Tips

Question on Census form ‘insensitive’ to women

<div class="post-body-container"> <div class="post_body" style="height: auto; max-height: none; overflow: hidden;"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> One question on the Census form has outraged and upset many people and been labelled "insensitive" to women. The statistics show 25 percent of Australian pregnancies end in miscarriage so for any women who’ve experienced this, the Census question about how many babies has a person given birth to, proved to be greatly upsetting. Molli Sarafov from Western Sydney recently lost her son to stillbirth and so when the question came up on the Census form she said she was caught off guard. The Census form asked: “How many babies has (name) ever given birth to?” The form said you can “exclude adopted, foster and step children.” But Sarafov, from western Sydney, said the question was greatly upsetting to her: “I was in tears,” she said. “I wasn’t sure what to write and I tapped the button for more information, but that just said something about how the ABS was trying to record statistics on the age of fertility of women, so didn’t help anyone in my situation answer the question.” Red Nose co-chief executive Jackie Mead agreed the question was insensitive saying: “It was worded so poorly and could be so offensive to so many women, including the many who have lost a baby.” “Sadly, one in four Australian pregnancies end in miscarriage and one in 135 ends in stillbirth. This is an issue that affects so many women,” she said. “Many women have told us today they are upset and confused about the abrupt way this question was worded and many were left in tears while completing their Census,” Mead added. Social media fielded more complaints Others complained about the question on social media. “Thanks to census, for two days I’ve been reminded society views me as a woman without children,” one woman wrote. “Where’s the question asking how many babies have men created? Also what about women who have lost children during pregnancy?” Another person wrote: “Census asking me how many babies I’ve popped out feels like a dig at my uterus. Might as well ask the penis owners how many times they’ve impregnated someone.” Another woman posted: “I was asked how many babies I’d given birth to on the census so naturally I expected my husband would be asked how many children he’s fathered. Spoiler: he wasn’t.” Most people in Australia submitted the Census on Tuesday evening of this week. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said it received 6.2 million forms as of 8 am on Wednesday morning. Out of those forms, about 126,000 were submitted on paper and the rest online. Those who didn’t submit their forms will be contacted by the ABS by email or in regional areas, by door knocking. Image: Getty Images </div> </div> </div>

Caring

Exactly what happens if you lie on the Census

Tonight is Census night and every Australian needs to fill in the forms. And while mistakes can and do happen, deliberate lies are met with stern consequences. Every five years, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) asks every household to fill in a Census form on the same night to get a snapshot of Australia as a whole. We use this information when formulating future policies for the country’s health, education, transport and infrastructure needs. This year, it’s expected 75 per cent of households will complete their forms online, to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines, because a high percentage of the country is currently in lockdown. Our last Census in 2016 was the first time we’ve attempted to submit our census forms online and this year is the second time. Officials from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) are bracing themselves for online cyber attacks because in our last Census in 2016, we experienced major problems with online hackers. So much so, this time the government has hired ‘friendly hackers’ to test if the site is vulnerable. Can I choose not to fill in the census form? Filling in the census form is mandatory and if you don’t take part, you will be fined $222. If you go to the ABS website it says: “The Census is compulsory. Everyone who is staying in your household on Census night must be included. This includes visitors and babies. The website continues stating: “You can be fined if you refuse to complete the Census or submit an incomplete form.” Under the Census and Statistics Act 1905, you can be issued a Notice of Direction, which directs you in writing to complete the Census. Can I be fined if I make a mistake on the Census? The Census form asks a lot of specific questions about yourself including how much money you make and how much your rent or mortgage costs. Because these questions as so specific, it’s possible you could make a mistake and the ABS has assured people they won’t be punished if they make a mistake. However, if the ABS feels you’ve lied on purpose, this will be treated in a far different manner. What happens if I lie on the Census form? The ABS makes it clear that it’s an offence to: “…provide false or misleading statements or information.” The penalty for lying on the Census form is a fine of up to $2220. <img style="width: 24px; height: 24px;" src="/umbraco/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/1af16fbdfdcf489bb264d62e9b3bc0b7" /><img style="width: 333.49609375px; height: 500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842983/person-on-computer-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/1af16fbdfdcf489bb264d62e9b3bc0b7" /> Will the information I enter be safe? Even though online hackers attacked the ABS website in 2016, they didn’t get hold of any of the data. The ABS says the information you give is not shared with any other government departments or agencies such as the police, Australian Taxation Office or Centrelink. The ABS is legally bound to protect the privacy of everyone and will not release information in a way which will identify any individual or household. If Census staff were to break these laws they can face penalties of up to $26,400 or imprisonment for up to two years - or both if confidentiality is broken. After 18 months the ABS destroys all the names and after 36 months they destroy all the addresses. However, they won’t do this if you tick the option for your information to be stored in the National Archives of Australia. If you do this, your information will be held for 99 years and then released publicly in a kind of time capsule. What if I can’t submit my form online? Some people may find it difficult to submit their census form online if they don’t have a computer or an Internet account. The ABS will check which households haven’t completed the form after Census night and those households who haven’t responded will receive reminder letters and visits from Census staff In cities, this type of follow up will mostly be through the mail, so if you can’t submit the form online, you will have received a letter from the ABS which has some instructions on it for submitting your form. This letter also supplies the ABS 24-hour automated hotline on 18000 130 250 and you can call this number and request a paper Census form is sent out to you. Once this form arrives in the mail, fill it in and post it back to the address supplied. Call the ABS 24-hour automated hotline on 1800 130 250 if you need help to submit your Census form tonight. Image: Getty Images

Legal

Census data reveals housework divide

Data from the 2016 census suggests there’s still a divide between the amount of unpaid domestic housework typical Australian men and women are doing each week. The figures suggest women still assume the lion’s share of the housework, between five and 14 hours a week, with men contributing less than five hours of work. Writing for The Conversation, University of Melbourne Sociology lecturer Dr Leah Ruppanner said, “Before we write these off as the bemoans of well-resourced first world problems, it is important to note that housework and the mental labour associated with its organisation have real and long-term economic consequences, particularly for women's employment.” Fairfax columnist Jessica Irvine also touched on the controversy this morning, writing, “But the fact remains: when it comes to domestic drudgery, Australia's women are still picking up the slack.” So, who are the 2.5 million laziest men in Australia? Irvine writes, “I obtained a postcode-by-postcode breakdown of the Aussie men contributing no domestic work in Australia. “Taking the crown – after excluding postcodes with fewer than 100 people – is the postcode of 5106 in Adelaide, home to Parafield Airport, a major pilot training facility, and a neighbouring suburb. “In second place, the Singleton Military Area in NSW, is home to 319 souls, of whom just 14 are women. Two thirds of the men here said they did no unpaid housework – I guess all that bed making and shoe polishing is part of the job – although zero women said the same. Two other military compounds, including HMAS Cerberus on the Mornington Peninsula and Blamey Barracks at Kapooka, near Wagga Wagga in NSW, also rank in the top 10. It's hard to label serving military men and women as "lazy". “Rounding out the list are three West Australian mining towns, including Barrow Island, home to the Gorgon Gas project and two universities, University of Queensland and University of NSW.” What are your thoughts? Do you believe household labour is equally distributed between the genders? Or is there more work to do?

Home & Garden

History made in Census findings on Australia's leading religion

The results from the 2016 Census are in and they’ve painted an interesting picture of the religious landscape in Australia, contradicting many scare campaigns. For the first time in Australian history the number of people claiming to have “no religion” has overtaken Catholics, rising from 22.6 per cent to 29.6 per cent. Those identifying as Catholic dropped from 25.3 per cent to 22.6 per cent. Christianity in total still made up 52 per cent of the population, with Islam (2.6 per cent) and Buddhism (2.4 per cent) the next most common religions reported. The results also saw a spike in those who did not answer the religious question, the only non-compulsory one in the Census, which was up slightly to 9.6 per cent. The Atheist Foundation of Australia (AFA) said this is a clear sign that it’s time to take religion out of policics, with president Kylie Sturgess telling <a href="http://www.news.com.au/" target="_blank">News.com.au</a>, “This includes policy on abortion, marriage equality, voluntary euthanasia, religious education in state schools and anything else where religious beliefs hold undue influence. “That has to stop. Politicians, business leaders and influencers take heed: this is an important milestone in Australia’s history. Those who marked down ‘No religion’ deserve much more recognition. We will be making our opinions known, and there’s power in numbers.” What are your views on the Census results?

Family & Pets

Results from 2016 Census paint a picture of who the “typical" Australian is

Nicholas Biddle is an Associate Professor of Arts and Social Sciences at the Australian National University. In a country as diverse as Australia, it is impossible to identify a set of characteristics that defines us. However, with today’s release of data from the <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3310114.nsf/home/2016+Census+National" target="_blank">2016 Census</a>, it is possible to identify some of the common characteristics, how they vary across states and territories, and how they are changing over time. Australia undertakes a compulsory long-form census – where detailed information across several areas is required of every individual respondent – every five years. So, what did we learn from the first set of results? According to the <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs%40.nsf/mediareleasesbyCatalogue/5E54C95D3D5020C6CA2580FE0013A809?OpenDocument" target="_blank">Australian Bureau of Statistics</a> (ABS): The 2016 Census has revealed the ‘typical’ Australian is a 38-year-old female who was born in Australia, and is of English ancestry. She is married and lives in a couple family with two children and has completed Year 12. She lives in a house with three bedrooms and two motor vehicles. Australia is getting a bit older; the typical Australian <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features30April+2013" target="_blank">in 2011</a> was aged 37. How do today’s results vary across Australia? First, age varies by state and territory. With variables like age, we often find the “typical” value by taking the median. In essence, we (statistically) line everyone up from youngest to oldest, and find the person who is older than half the population but younger than the other half. In Tasmania, the median age among 2016 Census respondents was 42. But in the Northern Territory, it was 34. Those in Australian Capital Territory were also quite young (median age 35), whereas those in South Australia were relatively old (40). The NT population’s relatively young age is influenced by the very high proportion that identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. While we don’t have updated estimates for that proportion (either for the NT or nationally), the data released today show that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is quite young. The median age nationally is 23. New South Wales and Queensland have the youngest Indigenous population, with a median age of 22. This release also tells us something about the different migrant profiles across Australia. Nationally, the most common country of birth for migrants is England. And the median age of migrants is much older than for the Australian-born population (44 compared to 38). The most common country of birth for migrants living in Queensland was New Zealand; in Victoria it was India; in NSW it was China. There may not be too many more censuses until the most common migrant nationally was not born in England. Ahead of the forthcoming federal budget, there has been a lot of media and policy attention on <a href="https://theconversation.com/affordable-housing-finger-pointing-politics-and-possible-policy-solutions-75703" target="_blank">housing affordability</a>. Today’s release of census data points to some subtle differences across Australia that may influence policy responses. Nationally, the most common tenure type is owning a three-bedroom home with a mortgage. In Queensland, however, renters make up a roughly equal share of the population. But, in Tasmania and NSW, more people own their own home outright. And in the NT, renting is the most common tenure type. In a finding that won’t surprise many, the typical female does a <a href="https://theconversation.com/census-2016-women-are-still-disadvantaged-by-the-amount-of-unpaid-housework-they-do-76008" target="_blank">bit more unpaid work</a> around the house than the typical male. The most common category for males is less than five hours a week. The most common for females is five to 14 hours. We won’t know how this compares to paid work for a while yet – or whether these differences vary depending on age. What future releases will tell us The profiles released today offer us limited information. But the census remains one of Australia’s most important datasets. When detailed data are released in June and then progressively throughout the rest of 2017, we will be able to dig deeper into small geographic areas or specific population groups. We will be able to ask if there are pockets of Australia with significant socioeconomic disadvantage, and if it is worsening. We will be able to hold governments accountable for the progress we have made on the education, employment and health outcomes of the Indigenous population. And we will be able to test whether the languages we speak, the houses we are living in, and the jobs that we are doing, are changing. But those questions rely on a high-quality census. The attention on the 2016 Census until now has been mostly negative. There was increased concern related to <a href="https://theconversation.com/census-2016-should-you-be-concerned-about-your-privacy-63206" target="_blank">data privacy</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/censusfail?lang=en" target="_blank">the failure</a> of the online data entry system on census night, and <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-09/abs-staff-say-data-undermined-by-funding-cuts/5801844" target="_blank">staff cuts</a> at the ABS. In <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/CO-108?opendocument&navpos=620" target="_blank">October 2016</a>, the ABS estimated the response rate to the 2016 Census was more than 96%, and that 58% of the household forms received were submitted online. But what <a href="https://theconversation.com/forget-the-census-undercount-what-matters-is-bias-63997" target="_blank">matters more</a> than how many people filled in the census and how they did it is whether the responses given were accurate. We therefore need to see a lot more interrogation of the data before taking the results at face value, but we can remain cautiously optimistic. The ABS will be hoping that now some data is released, attention will shift to what the results tell us about Australian society. It is to be hoped the data will be robust, the insights will be newsworthy, and policy and practice will shift accordingly. We won’t know this for sure until the first major data release of data June 27 – the data released today were just a sneak peak. Written by Nicholas Biddle. First appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/" target="_blank">The Conversation.<img width="1" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/76004/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation"/></a>

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Foreign hackers responsible for census shutdown

If you had trouble getting online last night to fill out your census you certainly weren’t the only one, as the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has confirmed the shutdown of the census website is due to a series of “malicious” attacks from foreign hackers. ABS has confirmed that the website was deliberately hacked four times yesterday, which ABS statistician David Kalisch explained in an interview on ABC Radio this morning, “It was an attack, and we believe from overseas. The Australian Signals Directorate are investigating, but they did note that it was very difficult to source the attack.” More than two million forms were successfully submitted before the beach, and the ABS has stressed that the data submitted before the hack is secure. Kalisch said, “I can certainly reassure Australians the data they provided is safe.” The attacks are believed to have begun during the day on Tuesday. While the initial hacks were repelled, as their frequency increased and more people tried to access the website, many Aussies trying to login after 7pm couldn’t connect. While the location of the hackers is yet to be established, Kalisch believes the website will be up online again at around 9am on Wednesday. The ABS has also reminded Australians not to panic about fines, as they <a href="/news/news/2016/08/why-you-dont-have-to-panic-about-census-tonight/">have until 23 September to complete the form</a>. Did you have trouble getting online last night? Are you worried a government website can be held to mercy by foreign hackers? Let us know in the comments. Image credit: Twitter / Broken News Related links: <a href="/news/news/2016/08/census-concerns-have-aussie-seniors-worried/">Census concerns have Aussie seniors worried</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/08/why-you-dont-have-to-panic-about-census-tonight/">Why you don’t have to panic about Census tonight</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/08/homelessness-crisis-point-in-regional-australia/">Homelessness hits "crisis point" in regional Australia</a>

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Why you don’t have to panic about Census tonight

Census night is finally here, and while media reports have people concerned about exorbitant late fines about not being able to login, there have been renewed calls for calm. The reason? Well, you don’t actually have to submit it tonight. 15 million Aussies expected to flood the Census site today and the Australian Bureau of Statistics is more than aware of the potential strain this can put on the system, so you actually have a few weeks to lodge your form. The final deadline? September 23. ABS Census and Statistical Network Division general manager Chris Libreri, told <a href="http://www.news.com.au" target="_blank">News.com.au</a> ‘’No one has ever been fined for being late with their Census form, the fines are only if you eyes-open refuse to a Census collector. It’s not about being late or not receiving the form. We allow two weeks for people to do their forms and put them in before we start the field visitation phase.” So if you’ve been worried about getting online in time to complete your Census, don’t. You’ve still got a few weeks to put the data in and avoid that nasty fine! For information regarding how to complete the Census, <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/census?opendocument&navpos=10" target="_blank">click here</a>. Are you concerned about filling in your Census? Do you think enough has been done to make this process easy for seniors? Share your thoughts in the comments. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2014/06/hot-tips-for-family-tree-research/">Hot tips for family tree research</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/08/homelessness-crisis-point-in-regional-australia/">Homelessness hits "crisis point" in regional Australia</a> <a href="/news/news/2015/06/about-australian-property-market/">Australian homes are getting larger and 7 other surprising insights into the property market</a>

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Census concerns have Aussie seniors worried

With the countdown well and truly underway to next Tuesday’s Census, there’s a growing sense of concern around the country regarding how the process will work. From the revelation that this will be the first time names and addresses of 24 million Australians are kept and linked to other data for four years to the warnings of daily fines of $180 for late applications, many people are worried about getting caught out. With the forms predominately to be completed online this year, recent reports suggest phone lines at the Australian Bureau of Statistics have been overwhelmed by calls from senior Australians wanting to complete the Census on paper. An ABS spokesperson told AAP on Tuesday, “We're currently experiencing a large number of calls to the census inquiry service and paper form request service, resulting in significant waiting times. We apologise for any inconvenience.” Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association co-ordinator Paul Versteege said, “This is an entirely predictable mess, resulting from a savings-driven rush into making online completion of the census form the default method of completion.” The disappointing thing perhaps is there’s never been a more important time for the census to be made easily accessible to senior Australians. New South Wales Census director Liz Bolzan told Australian Ageing Agenda, “We are an ageing population and it is really important older Australians are represented accurately in the Census so they can get the services they need. Government won’t know if the numbers are not correct so it is really important to participate for policy making and decision making.” For information regarding how to complete the Census and your requirements on Census night, <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/census?opendocument&navpos=10" target="_blank">click here</a>. Do you think enough is being done to make the Census entry process easy? Are you concerned about being able to get a form, or being subjected to a fine? Share your thoughts in the comments. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2014/06/hot-tips-for-family-tree-research/">Hot tips for family tree research</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/08/homelessness-crisis-point-in-regional-australia/">Homelessness hits "crisis point" in regional Australia</a> <a href="/news/news/2015/06/about-australian-property-market/">Australian homes are getting larger and 7 other surprising insights into the property market</a>

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Homelessness hits "crisis point" in regional Australia

In recent years, house prices in Australia’s major cities have skyrocketed, pushing the median price in some cities up to the million-dollar mark and beyond. Unfortunately, as more and more people find themselves unable to afford accommodation, rates of homelessness continue to climb, particularly in regional areas. As we enter another Census year, experts are warning that homelessness is at crisis point. Last Census found that of the 100,000 homeless people across Australia, about 60 per cent of them were outside of the major cities, making it difficult to count populations. “[There are] probably more homeless people in the regional areas but for people, for example, who are sleeping out rough in national parks, we have to know they are there to be able to go and count them,” Sue Taylor, Director of 2016 Census data, told <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-31/homelessness-at-crisis-point-in-rural-australia/7673780" target="_blank">ABC News</a>. Candice Morrell from Mission Australia agreed, saying the lack of affordable housing was pushing homelessness to “crisis point”. “It's more around couch surfing, people staying in overcrowded dwellings, in unsafe accommodation because there are no other options,” she said. “So homeless people in regional Australia can be less visible.” Tell us in the comments below, what do you think can be done to help improve the homeless situation in Australia? Related links: <a href="/news/news/2016/07/abuse-in-aged-care-homes-shocks-families-and-carers/">Abuse in aged care homes shocks families and carers</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/07/the-one-person-lindy-chamberlain-cannot-forgive/">The one person Lindy Chamberlain cannot forgive</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/07/report-reveals-dire-health-situation-in-australia/">Worrying new report reveals Australia’s dire health situation</a>

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Why you don’t have to panic about Census tonight

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