The Australian Bureau of Statistics will conduct the 16th Census of population and housing the 9th of August 2011 in order to accurately measure the number of people in Australia on Census Night, their key characteristics and the dwellings in which they live. The census underpins Australia's democracy and is crucial to communities, private institutions and all levels of government when planning infrastructure community services and facilities where you live.

For this reason it is crucial for the Greek community to participate and show its strength in numbers which will be crucial in discussing issues pertaining to our community with governments and politicians.

It is of vital importance that the census form is completed correctly and particular attention is paid to the sections regarding our ancestry, language and religion.

Attention should be given to the following questions:

Question 16: Does the person speak a language other than English at home?

If you speak Greek, regardless of fluency you should mark 'Yes Greek' in the space provided

Question 18: What is the person's ancestry?

Regardless of whether you were born in Greece or Australia, if your parents, grandparents or great grandparents were born in Greece then you can record your ancestry as Greek. To record this properly, write 'Greek' in the boxes provided.

Question 19: What is the person's religion?

If you identify yourself as belonging to the Greek Orthodox religion, you should mark 'Greek Orthodox' in the space provided.

Once again we reiterate the importance of participating and accurately completing the census form.