24 October 2023
By Hannah Wilcox
North Sydney Council has released the results of the 2023 Liveability Census, with an increase across the board in both positives and negatives about the area.
Between March 26 and June 30 this year the survey was available to residents and local community groups via Council’s various eNewsletter subscriptions, social media, website/s, and noticeboard programs.
654 respondents participated in the survey with 89 percent reporting they are satisfied with the liveability of the area.
This is compared to the results from 51,200 residents surveyed nationally, with a national average of 82 per cent of liveability satisfaction.
Although Council claims to have attempted to achieve a wide sample size, the Census participants were mostly female (70 percent) with young people under 25 severely underrepresented, making up only 3 per cent of those surveyed.
The largest group of participants sat in the 45 to 64 age group, making up 37 percent.
Overall the LGA scored a place experience rating of 76/100, made up of 50 neighbourhood liveability (or place) attributes as rated by respondents.
This is higher than the national average (67/100) and is up one point from 2021 (75/100).
Evening activities/night time entertainment category remained North Sydney LGAs top strength versus the national benchmark – up 2 per cent from 2021 to +19 percent.
Evidence of Council/government management (signage, street cleaners etc.), unusual or unique buildings and/or public space design, and evidence of public investment were three new categories that appeared in the top five strengths this year, scoring +18 per cent, +12 per cent and +16 per cent respectively.
These replaced 2021’s highest scoring categories of evidence of community activity, sense of personal safety and access to neighbourhood amenities.
The third ranking category was local history, historic buildings, or features and improved by 3 per cent to +17 per cent.
Range of housing prices and tenures moved to the area’s top weakness, scoring a 1 percent increase from 2021 to sit at 7 percent below the national benchmark.
The second weakness was ease of driving and parking, which was previously the area’s top weakness in the last census. It improved by 3 percent but still falls 5 percent below the national benchmark.
Elements of natural environment (natural features, views, vegetation, topography, water, wildlife etc.) was North Sydney LGAs highest valued attribute compared with the National value with a score of 77 percent.
The livability census started in 2021 and runs every two years in neighbourhoods across Australia.