City of Newcastle has developed a new Australian local-government first resource designed to support the growth of businesses across the LGA.
City Insights is a free interactive data tool which offers practical information to owners of small-to-medium-enterprises to help navigate the challenges that come with creating or maintaining their business.
It presents an overview of Newcastle's $22 billion economy and the diversity that exists across more than 12,200 businesses in the city, as well as regular updates on key sectors and tourism data for the region.
Chair of City of Newcastle's Strategy and Innovation Strategic Advisory Committee Cr Declan Clausen said this type of information is crucial to help businesses make informed decisions.
"We want Newcastle to have an ecosystem that supports local businesses and entrepreneurs," Cr Clausen said.
"The Strategy and Innovation Strategic Advisory Committee provided input into the development of this resource, with the objective to help people make smarter, faster decisions by showing what's happening at a local level, from development activity and business mix to spending trends.
"The interactive data tool is built to support the kinds of decisions that matter to businesses, planners, investors and community organisations, all backed by real, government-sourced data.
"City Insights supplies that data in a centralised location, covering the entire city or offering individualised results to target specific suburbs, with details such as population figures and active development applications.
"We're excited to be the first Council in Australia to offer this kind of service and we know other Councils are already looking to follow our lead."
City Insights can be accessed through City of Newcastle's economic development website, Imagine Newcastle, which is another free online resource created to support those considering working, studying or relocating to Newcastle.
The interactive data tool ensures business owners have an accurate view of the local economy as they consider whether to move an existing enterprise or start a new one.
Strategy and Innovation Strategic Advisory Committee member and CEO of Business Hunter Bob Hawes said it's important for businesses to have access to relevant and contemporary information.
"The City Insights portal will help businesses make timely decisions about establishing, growing and investing," Mr Hawes said.
"Whether a business is starting out or well along the path to maturity, markets are dynamic and having access to an interactive and data driven tool like City Insights will make the research and investigation task much easier when considering the Newcastle LGA."
City of Newcastle is offering a free information session for those interested in learning how to get the most out of City Insights.
It will be held in the Council Chambers at 12 Stewart Avenue, Newcastle West on 17 April, with registrations via
https://events.humanitix.com/city-insights-training-2026
To access the City Insights interactive data tool visit:
