Mining cities concerned census fails to count FIFO 'ghost population'

A lobby group representing historic mining regions in Australia has called for improvements to the census data collection process to better account for fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workers. The Australian Mining Cities Alliance, comprising six local governments including Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Mount Isa and Broken Hill, fears the upcoming 2026 Census will fail to capture the growing FIFO workforce.

Kalgoorlie-Boulder, one of the fastest-growing mining towns in Australia, has seen a surge in fly-in fly-out work practices, with the airport becoming one of the busiest in regional Western Australia. The mayor of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Glenn Wilson, has lobbied the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to ensure the ghost population of FIFO workers is included in the census.

Historical data shows the population of Kalgoorlie-Boulder has increased significantly in recent years, with the 2021 Census recording a population of 31,268, up from 29,306 in 2021. Wilson estimates there could be as many as 10,000 FIFO workers in the city, highlighting the importance of accurate data for funding opportunities.

The FIFO workforce's exclusion from the census could lead to underfunding and infrastructure struggles, as seen in the East Pilbara, where wastewater treatment plants are being upgraded at a cost of over $50 million due to the high number of FIFO workers. Robertson Powell, a FIFO worker, emphasizes that home and work are separate, and the census should reflect this distinction.

Despite these concerns, the ABS states that FIFO workers are accounted for using a "usual residence" concept, which considers individuals spending more than six months at a location as their usual residence.