Pilbara urged to be counted as region launches 2026 Census campaign

Pilbara residents are being urged to make sure they are counted in this year’s census campaign as Regional Development Australia launches a campaign aimed at tackling the region’s chronic census undercount.

The Count the Pilbara campaign encourages anyone who has lived or worked in the Pilbara for more than half the year to list their Pilbara address as their usual place of residence when completing the 2026 Census on August 11.

This applies even if your family lives somewhere else, you own or rent a home in another town or city, or you travel in and out the region for work.

New residents who have just moved to the Pilbara and plan on staying for more than six months are urged to count themselves in for the census.

RDA chief executive Daiva Gillam said one of the biggest misconceptions was that FIFO workers should be counted at the address where they spend their time off.

“We get one chance every five years to count the Pilbara properly, and there is a lot riding on this one night,” she said.

“If you spend more than six months of the year living and working in the Pilbara, then your usual place of residence for the census is the Pilbara.

“It’s a simple message and getting it right could make a significant difference to the accuracy of our population data and the future planning of our region.”

According to the RDA, the last census in 2021 undercounted the Pilbara by an estimated 25,000 people, preventing governments from knowing about the region’s true population, costing essential funding and services.

Some reasons of the Pilbara being undercounted include FIFO workers and new residents using another address outside the Pilbara, and some communities faced barriers in participation.

The organisation says when people who live in the Pilbara aren’t counted properly in the census, the region and communities may miss out on essential funding, services and infrastructure.

Ms Gillam said the campaign is about making sure the Pilbara gets its fair share of government funding and resources.

“Census data informs government decisions, so our communities get the services, infrastructure and investment required to have vibrant, liveable places to call home,” she said.

The Census is run by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and can be completed online, on paper, at home or at camp. Support services are available to those who need it.