GOVERNMENT TOOLS

Informed Decisions is at Pod 9 at the Local Government NSW Annual Conference in Wollongong, 22 to 24 November. Ask us one question about your local government area and we will answer it properly, in writing, with the working shown.

Our demographers, economists and forecasters do this work for more than 300 councils around Australia. What you get back is an answer, not a brochure, and not a call from a salesperson.

Questions close Wednesday 19 November. We are capping this at thirty questions across New South Wales so that every answer is a real one.

Ask your question See what you could ask

How it works

One. Ask one question about your local government area, in a sentence.

Two. One of our demographers, economists or forecasters answers it in writing, with a chart where a chart helps, and the source behind every figure.

Three. Collect your answer from Jared Ingle at Pod 9 in Wollongong. If you are not travelling to the conference, tick the box on the form and we will post it to you instead.

If we cannot answer what you ask, we will say so plainly and tell you who can.

Not sure what to ask?

Every answer is about your place specifically, never a state average. These are the kinds of questions we can answer. The ones we enjoy most test something a council has always assumed about itself, so if you have a story you have told for years and want to know whether it still holds, ask that.

Your people

How many people have we added since 2011, and where did they settle?
Which age group is growing fastest here, and which is shrinking?
Where do our new residents come from, and where do leavers go?
Which suburb has changed most since the last Census?

Your economy

What is our economy worth, and did it grow or shrink last year?
Which industry employs most of our residents, and is it rising or falling?
How many residents leave the area for work, and where do they go?
Which industries gained and lost the most jobs in five years?

Your housing

How many of our households rent, and how has that changed?
What share of our households are under housing stress?
How has our mix of houses, townhouses and apartments shifted?
How many people live in the average household, and is that rising?

What people say

How do people in our region rate where they live?
What do residents in areas like ours say matters most?
How does our part of New South Wales compare on cost of living pressure?
What are people across New South Wales most worried about this year?

Ask us anything

Your question

One question about your local government area. The best ones test something you have always assumed, like whether overseas migration really is changing your area. Questions close Wednesday 19 November, and we would love to hear what you most want to understand about your place.