Andrew Barr, ACT Chief Minister, has released a statement about the federal government's decision to exclude LGBTIQ+ people from the Australian 2026 census.
Count our LGBTIQA+ community for equality and wellbeing
The ACT Government has been advocating for improved data collection on LGBTIQA+ communities for many years and most recently has been working with the Australian Bureau of Statistics as part of the 2026 Census LGBTIQA+ Expert Advisory Committee.
In the absence of Census data, the ACT Government has already been improving the consistency of sex, gender and sexuality data collection, discoverability, sharing and use through actions in our Capital of Equality Strategy and the ACT Women’s Plan 2016-26.
We are working with the University of Canberra, the Australian Bureau of Statistics and other partners to collect wellbeing data on Canberrans with diverse sexuality, sex and gender to support a better understanding of issues and allow the right supports to be put in place.
We will now take further steps to collect appropriate data to inform our policies and service delivery:
- Conduct a comprehensive biennial ACT LGBTQIA+ communities survey
- Work with the University of Canberra to improve LGBTIQA+ community data collected through the Living well in the ACT Survey
- Adopt YourSay panel changes to gather more data
- Strengthen and Expand the Safe and Inclusive Schools Program to ensure schools are supported to both collect the data and offer appropriate support to LGBTIQA+ children, young people and their families.
Importantly, we will undertake these steps with a privacy first approach that doesn’t compromise our community or identify individuals.
Many Canberrans belong to multiple groups, such as LGBTIQA+, culturally and linguistically diverse, or people with disability. These intersecting experiences influence how people experience systems and services, and may mean the need to improve understanding and take targeted approaches to help individuals meet their daily needs, improve wellbeing, access services, or feel safe in the community
The First Action Plan under the Second Capital of Equality Strategy continues the focus on ensuring LGBTIQA+ people, families and communities are visible, valued and respected through:
Promoting awareness and understanding to eliminate barriers to equality for LGBTIQA+ communities (including data and evidence building)
- Enhancing systems and services availability
- Advancing legal and policy reforms to ensure equal rights
- Empowering safe, resilient and sustainable LGBTIQA+ communities.
Our goal is to involve Canberrans in the decisions that impact their lives. Our research and engagement activities provide a range of ways to participate and share your ideas online.
LGBTIQA+ Canberrans can participate by joining online discussions, voting in quick polls and taking surveys.
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