This information is for people, households or organisations who have been contacted by the Queensland Government Statistician's Office (QGSO) to participate in research or one of our surveys. When we call, we use the telephone number (07) 3013 2999.
About QGSO
QGSO, located in Queensland Treasury, is Queensland Government’s lead statistical agency, and we provide statistical and demographic research services for government. Through providing accurate and timely statistical data we support better decision making to advance Queensland.
We have legislative authority under the Statistical Returns Act 1896 to collect and publish statistics and maintain high quality sampling frames for conducting official surveys.
Our surveys
QGSO conducts official surveys of Queensland people, households, businesses and other organisations on behalf of Queensland Government agencies. Our surveys produce accurate and timely statistical information for Queensland Government and its agencies to make decisions and to plan, evaluate and improve policies and services.
Frequently asked questions
Why have I been selected?
QGSO aims to obtain results that accurately reflect and represent the unbiased views of the population of interest. Some surveys are designed to use random selection to give every household in Queensland an equal chance of being contacted, and every eligible person in those households an equal chance of being selected to participate. Occasionally, a census is required, where every member of a group is approached to participate in a survey. We also conduct surveys on behalf of Queensland Government departments where we contact individuals, households, businesses or organisations from contact lists provided.
Do I have to participate in a survey?
All individuals and organisations approached by QGSO are encouraged to participate in survey research. This ensures the high level of response required to obtain accurate, reliable results.
Are my responses kept confidential?
QGSO balances its requirement to collect information with your right to privacy under the Human Rights Act 2019. Your personal information is protected by the Information Privacy Act 2009 against loss, unauthorised access, use, modification or disclosure, and any other misuse.
Information collected by QGSO under the Statistical Returns Act does not allow the unauthorised release of collected information that identifies an individual or organisation.
QGSO is widely respected for its long-standing record of preserving the confidentiality of information collected through its surveys.
How did you get my contact (address/email/phone) details?
For surveys that need to reflect a representative cross-section of the Queensland public, we randomly select households based on information from databases which are kept for official statistical purposes under the authority of the Statistical Returns Act. In other cases, we contact survey participants using a list provided by the government department that has asked us to conduct the survey.
What about the Do Not Call Register?
We collect statistics only for official government purposes, and the Do Not Call Register does not apply to such calls.
Why have you sent several letters to me?
We apologise if you have received more than one letter. Our intention is to send letters to householders, but our database cannot distinguish between owners and residents, so you may have received several letters if you own several dwellings.
Why have I received a letter at my address which is addressed to someone else?
Although QGSO and our clients try to keep our contact lists as up to date as possible, they sometimes contain mistakes. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Is this a legitimate phone number?
The telephone number (07) 3013 2999 is used by QGSO when conducting surveys on behalf of Queensland Government departments. This number is only used for outgoing calls by QGSO interviewers.
What about the anti-spam legislation?
QGSO sometimes sends messages by email and SMS, promoting participation in our surveys. Under the Spam Act 2003, the government is permitted to use electronic messages to promote government services. The Spam Act defines these as ‘designated commercial electronic messages’. We always include information about the organisation which authorised the message, as required by the Spam Act.
Our commitment to you, the survey participant
We value the time you take to answer survey questions by:
- designing our surveys to take as little of your time as possible
- testing our survey questions before running a survey
- collecting information from you that we need for the specified survey only
- keeping our contact with you to a minimum
- arranging times convenient to you for telephone interviews
- designing user–friendly online surveys which can be completed on a range of devices
- notifying you in advance if you will need to prepare anything before answering a survey.
We treat you with respect and courtesy by:
- wherever possible, notifying you in advance of the survey that you are being asked to participate in
- introducing and identifying ourselves when we contact you
- ensuring our staff are well trained and able to respond to any queries you may have about the survey
- informing you how and why you have been selected to participate in the survey
- explaining the purpose of the survey and how your information will be used.
We balance our responsibility to collect and publish information with your right to privacy by:
- only collecting your information for research and statistical purposes to support decision-making for Queensland
- keeping your information secure and confidential — we protect it according to high level security procedures and our legislative framework, including the Statistical Returns Act, the Information Privacy Act, the Human Rights Act and the Queensland Government Code of Conduct
- ensuring our staff and clients are aware of their obligations in protecting your confidential information
- using the information you provide for statistical purposes only, and not publishing anything that would identify you, your household, your business or your organisation. (The Statistical Returns Act does not allow the unauthorised release of collected information that identifies you or your organisation.)
We communicate with you by:
- notifying you in advance of our official surveys, wherever possible, by appropriate means
- providing information about our surveys and survey methods on our website
- providing a toll-free* number for you to call us to enquire about our surveys
- responding promptly and fairly to any issues or queries you may have.
More information
For more information, including the statistical surveys currently being conducted by Queensland Government Statistician's Office, please contact us by phoning either our toll-free* number 1800 068 587 or using one of the methods on our Contact us page.
You can also lodge feedback about your contact with us via the Queensland Government website Complaints and compliments form
*Calls to the toll-free line from a mobile phone may incur charges.