A campaign to boost the number of Northland Maori participating in the 2013 Census has been launched to help the Government get a clearer picture of the region's population.
The Statistics NZ campaign to reduce the "undercount" for Maori in Census 2013 has included the appointment of researcher Rowan Tautari as a community liaison adviser for Whangarei district and inland Bay of Islands.
New Zealanders will stand up to be counted in a census to be held on March 5 next year.
NZ First leader Winston Peters, Te Tai Tokerau MP and Mana Party leader Hone Harawira and Labour Party Northland list MP Shane Jones have agreed to work with Rowan Tautari to promote census participation by Maori, estimated to number 673,500 or 15 per cent of the national population of 4.41 million last year.
Mr Peters said: "The Government desperately needs accurate population figures for all sorts of economic and social planning.
"They have to have this information to build hospitals, schools and provide other services."
Some people did not participate in the census because they were reluctant to provide personal details.
"But the census is apolitical and any information people provide must be kept confidential by Statistics NZ," Mr Peters said.
A census information roadshow will be held in Forum North at Whangarei from 10.30am-noon on December 3.
Collectors will deliver census forms to households from February 16 to March 5.
Each dwelling form has 21 questions and each individual form 39.
They can be filled out on the forms provided or online.