#CensusFail Has Cost Taxpayers $AU30 Million

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has estimated that the $AU100m savings from moving the census online, is now more likely to be $AU70m.

Speaking at a Senate estimates hearing on Wednesday night, the ABS revealed that the census has cost taxpayers about $AU30m.

Chief ABS statistician David Kalisch spoke about the finalised costs of census night. "We have to date probably incurred additional costs of around $20m...and we anticipate possibly spending another $10m," he said.

The 2016 census has been widely labelled as a bit of a disaster; hence the whole #censusfail thing.

"V easy to do," yeaaaah, right.

A sea of households had failed to complete the survey on census night when the site literally crashed and went offline. The ABS was also considering fining people who still hadn't completed it by the extended deadline.

Liberal frontbencher Zed Seselja agreed that errors were made, but insisted that they'd learnt many lessons in the process.

Though, some might consider $30m to be a pretty hefty cost for a "lesson".

"The prime minister has made it very, very clear that it's unacceptable," said Seselja. "I'm sure the ABS has learnt its lesson."

Well, you'd certainly hope so.

Photo: Giphy and Fox Broadcasting Company