While 2026 Census night last Tuesday week is all but a memory for most survey participants, the hard work was just beginning for local support teams in Australia's vast north-west region.

Key points:

• Local teams across Kimberley continue gathering Census data

• 2026 survey would show critical household changes post pandemic

• Cultural authorities, international students supporting local ABS cohorts

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has amassed a string of makeshift but determined Census teams in the Kimberley region - each with their own local cultural authorities - who will spend the rest of this month and September traversing the 423,000km of Country to ensure every remote town and community is ticked off, or at the least better informed to want to participate when the next Census rolls around in 2031.

An array of local teams from the Census Kimberley Operational Support Centre has been bolstered by the employment of an international cohort of students - and local cultural authorities - to continue working across the region delivering and collecting forms and interviewing households.

The 2026 Census is particularly critical as it would paint a picture of how the COVID-19 pandemic, housing pressures and the rising cost of living have reshaped Australian society and impacted remote communities since the last national survey in 2021.

Census spokesperson Amy Risinger said most households in Kimberley towns had received a Census form, with 12 remote teams based in these towns currently operating across the region throughout August and September, prioritising form distribution so all households were covered.

"Census staff are easy to spot, wearing orange shirts or yellow vests and often carrying a yellow satchel," she told National Indigenous Times.

"Our remote area management teams continue to work closely with communities and pastoral stations across the Kimberley, conducting household interviews and delivering Census forms where required.

"There is still time for people to complete their Census, and it is important residents do not panic if they had not yet, and to contact the ABS if they require assistance."

Census night saw local teams focused on ensuring an accurate count of people staying in aged care facilities, hostels and hospitals, hotels, caravan parks, private and commercial vessels, and remote lodges and camping locations, including 4WD and tourism-based travel groups.

Priorities moving forward for the teams were on people experiencing homelessness - with help from community organisations - and engaging people sleeping rough or temporarily staying with friends or family in communities across the Kimberley.

Residents in Rubibi / Broome, Derby and Kununurra were encouraged to submit their Census forms soon, as local teams continue their mission throughout August and September visiting remote communities across the Kimberley, including Wyndham, Halls Creek and Fitzroy Crossing.

Cultural support for local Kimberley teams

Community field officers have been employed to help guide field staff within these towns and communities and assist residents with their Census, including why it was essential to participate to support accurate data collection for Indigenous communities.

Ms Risinger said Census pop-up hubs in Broome, Derby and Kununurra gave residents face-to-face support with their Census forms.

"Our teams will continue to work closely with local communities, organisations and stakeholders to arrange additional fill-in-the-form sessions where needed, ensuring everyone is supported to participate," she said, adding the Kimberley Operational Support Centre could be contacted and local teams arranged to work with specific community needs.

Five-year snapshot shapes public policy

Charles Darwin University northern institute demographer Professor Andrew Taylor said the Census would help reveal how recent cost-of-living pressures and social and economic disruptions had influenced where Australians live and how households were formed.

"The Census helps us understand how a particularly disruptive five years have affected Australians and whether those experiences have led to lasting social change," he said.

Census data was used by all levels of government to inform decisions about infrastructure, housing, health, education and community services.

"Just as elections and opinion polls provide an indication of people's priorities, Census participation helps ensure the circumstances and needs of Australian communities are visible to policymakers," Professor Taylor said.

"The survey provides a reliable statistical foundation for discussion about important national and local issues ... evidence that improves our ability to design effective policies around essential services."

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Participation critical in remote regions

Master of Public Policy graduate at CDU La'aina Lavaka said awareness, accessibility and trust remained significant challenges in remote communities like the Kimberley, but involving local people who understood the languages, culture and circumstances of each community was essential to improving First Nations participation.

"One of the biggest challenges in remote areas is people may not understand what the Census is, or how the information will be used ... and how results influence the services and resources communities receive," she said.

"First Nations communities can experience a constant stream of agencies, services and visitors, and the purpose of each interaction can become blurred."

Ms Lavaka said Indigenous-led engagement helped build trust and ensure information was communicated clearly and appropriately.

"Local people understand the language, culture and community context ... and are best placed to explain the importance of the Census and help ensure First Nations people can participate."

While concerns about privacy and data security could discourage some people from participating, information provided to the ABS was protected by law and identifiable Census information is not publicly released, with the first results to begin rolling out in June 2027.