58
URBAN PLANNING
LG Professionals
Australia and .id
the population experts
release the inaugural State
of the Sector Report
By Lauren Oakey
CEO
LG Professionals Australia
The value of the data that local government
collects, manages and produces cannot be
overstated. No other organisation or level
of government has access to such detailed
information on communities, or the ability to
paint the local picture, quite like councils can.
As the local government sector changes, and
is expected to do more with less, the need
to advocate, convince, and connect with our
communities, other levels of government,
businesses and collaborators increases. Councils
are forming more complex collaborations with
other organisations, and relying more and more
on efficiencies to get the job done. In a myriad
of ways, this leads to a more sophisticated
relationship with data. Why? Data informs
decision-making, is essential in getting others
on board with initiatives, and can be compelling
when competing for scarce resources.
We need data – but the amount of data we
are generating and gathering is growing at
unprecedented rates. While knowledge is power,
in the data age it’s the ability to organise, analyse,
and tell the real story of the data that matters.
GOVLINK » ISSUE 2 2017
The State of the Sector Report was born of the
need to create a single source of data, analysis
and commentary from the national perspective,
that tracks the big trends impacting local
government sector, provides the national context
on common issues faced by councils around
Australia, and offers grounded indicators, solid
analysis and forecasting that enable councils’
forward planning. Via sharing of best practice and
practical information there is a real opportunity
to develop local government organisations.
LG Professionals Australia partnered with .id,
population and economic analysts to create the
State of the Sector Report. As experts in place-
based demographics, .id transform statistical data
into a user-friendly information that allows users
to better understand community places and the
people who live there. .id’s expertise in location-
based information for geographic areas aligned to
real-life community planning scenarios, enables
local governments to benchmark information
to relevant state and regional indicators and
understand change over time.