The LGAQ is calling for grants to public libraries to be calculated using information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics rather than Census data, saying it would reflect a more accurate figure of Queensland’s population. See the LGAQ submission.
It has told a State Government review of the methodology used to calculate public library grants that the ABS estimate of Queensland’s resident population is 140,000 more than the figure recorded by the Census.
“The 2016 Census was a count of everyone who filled in a census form on 9 August 2016, with an estimated response rate of 95.1 per cent,’’ LGAQ advocacy general manager Sarah Buckler said in a submission to the review.
“Conversely, the Estimated Resident Population series clearly provides a better total count of people in communities.”
Ms Buckler said the ABS population estimate was also used by the Commonwealth Grants Commission to decide on GST revenue distribution to the states and the Queensland Local Government Grants Commission for the distribution of Financial Assistance Grants to councils.
She said council members of the Public Library Advisory Group said the system of funding libraries needed to consider which libraries would be used by non-residents like Fly-In Fly-Out (FIFO) workers, “grey nomad” tourists, seasonal workers and backpackers.