Statistical Returns Act 1896 (Qld)

Statistical Returns Act 1896

An Act to facilitate the collection of statistical information

1 Short title This Act may be cited as the Statistical Returns Act 1896.

2 Act binds all persons This Act binds all persons, including the State.

3 Definitions In this Act— approved form see section 12. person includes a local government, society, institution, or a body of persons (whether incorporated or unincorporated).

3A Government statistician In this Act— government statistician shall mean the person appointed for the time being by the Governor in Council to be government statistician.

4 Government statistician may collect and publish statistical information (1) The government statistician may collect and publish statistics in relation to— (a) population and vital statistics; (b) immigration and emigration; (c) social statistics; (d) factories and manufacturing industries; (e) wages, employment and unemployment; (f) tourism, recreational and household services; (g) imports and exports; (h) shipping; (i) transport and freight; (j) banking, insurance, finance and business services; (k) land tenure and occupancy; (l) agricultural, pastoral and kindred industries; (m) mining and mining industries (including quarries); (n) retail and distributive industries; (o) forestry; (p) fisheries; (q) local government; (r) water conservation and supply; (s) building and construction industries; (t) energy sources and industries; (u) the environment; (v) any other prescribed matters. (2) Without limiting the generality of subsection (1), the government statistician may make approved forms available to any person by delivery or in such other manner as the government statistician thinks fit or as may be prescribed. (3) An approved form must state the nature of the information the government statistician requires. (4) A person to whom an approved form is made available shall insert or cause to be inserted therein all the information required to the best of the person's knowledge and shall within 30 days after the form is made available to the person return it, duly filled up, to the government statistician or some person authorised by the government statistician to collect or receive the same. (5) The government statistician may collect information by asking a person a question in any way, including by a verbal, electronic or written communication. (6) The government statistician may collect information incidental to the collection and publication of statistics under this section including, in particular, information to prepare a sampling frame. (7) In this section— sampling frame means a list of persons, businesses or organisations (including addresses or other contact information), or a measurable set of items or events, from which a sample can be selected for the collection of statistics.