Brisbane residents should ignore “overzealous" Census collectors because people can still lodge the forms without facing a $110 daily fine.
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A Census spokesman has moved to allay concerns after Kelvin Grove residents complained they had filled out their form online only to discover a yellow warning card in their letterbox.
It included a handwritten note from the collector, warning of “penalties of $110 per day for failure to lodge".
Residents who called the Census Inquiry Service were told it was a mistake and the form had been lodged correctly if they had a receipt number.
A Census spokesman said the inquiry service had not been inundated with similar complaints but the collector was probably a “bit overzealous".
Population Census program head Paul Lowe said: “There's no penalty for completing your Census form late, as long as you do it accurately.”
“If you haven't completed a Census form, please fill it out as soon as possible and answer the questions as if it were Census night."
The same applied for forms filled out online.
Australia-wide, thousands of collectors will be picking up completed paper forms until August 28.
All genuine collectors will be wearing visible photo identification and carrying yellow satchels.
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