The Australian Bureau of Statistics has purchased 11 new Kodak scanners for Census 2011, the largest data collection undertaken by the ABS.

These Kodak scanners will be devoted to the task of scanning more than 80 million double-sided sheets over a six month period beginning in July 2011.

ACA Pacific will supply Kodak's i1860 High Volume Scanners. Two units will be supplied initially for a dress rehearsal which will take place in 2010 at a site in the Melbourne CBD where 20,000 test forms will be scanned and processed over several passes.

The remaining scanners will be in place in June 2011 in preparation for the 16th national Census to be conducted on 9 August 2011.

Over 40,000 field staff are employed to conduct the field work. The data is processed from August, 2011 to June 2012 employing approximately 600 temporary staff.

Maps will also be scanned to aid processing and to reconcile Collector workloads.

With the first national Census having taken place in 1911, Census 2011 will also mark 100 years of national census-taking in Australia.

Involving every household in the nation, the conduct of the Census is logistically the single largest peacetime operation conducted in Australia.