Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester said the federal government welcomed the announcement of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) that the next census will be held on 10 August 2021 and final confirmation that it will include a question about service in the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

army-Shoalwater Bay Training Area, QLD.
7th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment soldiers await orders prior to a patrol as part of Battle Group Lion’s Warfighter activity at Shoalwater Bay Training Area.

Veterans’ Affairs ministers from across Australia recognised the importance of this issue, unanimously agreeing in 2017 that a question about veterans should be included in the next Australian census. This was reinforced in 2018, where ministers recognised the need for robust data on veterans’ issues and strongly endorsed the need for a veteran indicator in the 2021 census. The resulting data will have the potential to help the federal, state and territory government agencies, and ex-service organisations better target and improve services and support.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester.

Chester said the census will provide a better understanding of how many veterans Australia has and where they live, allowing the government to deliver better services and support. “Historically, just because a person served in the ADF doesn’t mean they required services or support from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA), making it hard to give a definitive answer on how many veterans are in Australia,” Chester said. “The census will provide better data to help guide services and support for Australia’s veterans, and will help inform our policy response to issues facing veterans, such as health, housing and employment.”


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