Cook Shire residents are being encouraged to help build a more accurate picture of the region by taking part in the 2026 Census on Tuesday 11 August.
Held every five years, the Census counts people and households across Australia and provides important information about where people live, how communities are changing and what they need.
For Cook Shire, getting that picture right is especially important.
Census data is used by all levels of government, as well as service providers, agencies, planners, developers, employers, businesses, charities, researchers and organisations considering investment in the region.
When these decision-makers want to understand Cook Shire, its population and its needs, Census data is one of the key sources they rely on.
The information helps shape decisions about health care, housing, education, roads, disaster support, aged care, community services, jobs, infrastructure and future investment.
However, official population figures do not always capture the full size and diversity of Cook Shire’s communities.
People live across the Shire in towns, remote communities, on stations, properties and outstations. Others work seasonally, move between communities, stay with family or live outside a conventional household.
When people are not counted, Cook Shire can appear smaller, less diverse and less in need than it really is.
Mayor Robyn Holmes and Cook Shire Councillors have joined together in a new video encouraging every person across the Shire to take part.
Their message is simple: when someone is not counted, it is not just a number that is missing. Their household, circumstances and community needs are also less visible.
Everyone is encouraged to complete the Census and include every person staying in their household on Census night, Tuesday 11 August 2026.
You live here. You work here. You belong here.
Be counted, so Cook Shire counts.
