The NSW Government has released an online tool that shows graphically key demographic attributes of the state’s regions.

The People and Places Dashboard shows data such as population age groups, household composition, and land usage. The data is projected 20 years into the future.

The website was launched by Minister for Planning and Housing Anthony Roberts, who said it will help anyone looking to build a house, relocate to a new area or satisfy a curiosity about the current population projections in any local area.

“This is a fantastic new online tool that gives great insight into any part of NSW now and in the future. Even those not exactly tech-savvy will find it simple to use – and schoolkids will love it. If you want to know the population make-up in your area, this is the tool to use,” he said.

The data comes from the NSW Department of Planning and Environment and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. “The dashboard is the type of thing that could expand over time and more and more relevant statistics added to paint a really detailed picture of our state and city,” said Mr Roberts.

The dashboard presents official NSW population projections for every five years from 2016 to 2036 and allows users to:

• find information on people and household demographics for the six districts in Sydney and nine districts in regional NSW.
• look at the breakdown of five age-groups (0-19, 20-34, 35-49, 50-64 and 65+) and what percentage those age-groups are of the total population.
• find out about recreational, green and open spaces in any area of NSW.
• find out how your local council is performing in terms of housing approval times

“There is no denying that NSW is a great place to live and work. However, the best cities don’t just happen, they are planned, and planning for the future of our state is critical,” he said.

“Launching the dashboard is an informed step towards identifying changes in our population and planning carefully for our children’s future.”

There are 7.7 million people in NSW, projected to grow to 10 million by 2036. The analysis divides the state into Metropolitan Sydney and nine regions: North Coast, New England North West, Central Coast, Hunter, Central West and Orana, Riverina-Murray, Far West, Illawarra-Shoalhaven, and South East and Tablelands. Metropolitan Sydney is further divided into six districts.

The tool is available at www.peopleandplaces.nsw.gov.au