Andre Kato: Failure to complete Census lands Nimbin man in Lismore court

A North Coast man who said he didn’t want to participate in the 2021 Census has faced court for the act.

A Nimbin man who refused to participate in the 2021 Census has tried to explain why he didn’t answer the Commonwealth authority.

Blue Knob resident Andre Kato, 57, was self-represented in Lismore Local Court on Wednesday as he tried to explain why he did not complete the 2021 Census form on four different occasions.

Kato has pleaded guilty to four counts of not complying with a direction to supply particulars, namely filling in and supplying the 2021 census household form.

The 2021 Census night on August 10 aimed to count all the people in Australia, and post-Census night NSW field staff were instructed to make further attempts to gain that information where it had not been provided.

Kato was contacted at his home by a Census field staff member on September 4.

Andre Kato outside Lismore Local Court on Wednesday, August 24, 2022. Picture: Cath Plitz

The staff member completed a refusal report for Kato, recording that he had not filled out the form because he didn’t want to participate, court facts state.

A letter was sent on September 7, and a further notice of direction was provided on September 30, the facts state.

A staff member then personally served a notice of direction to Kato on October 16.

However, as of February 24 this year, the Australian Bureau of Statistic records indicated Kato was yet to provide a form, the court facts state.

Kato told the court on Wednesday he had gone camping during one of the dates of notice, and that a Census staff member had arrived at his home “unannounced in the lockdown”.

He asked for the charges to be withdrawn but then later pleaded guilty to all charges.

Magistrate Jeff Linden adjourned the matter until October 12 for mention.