Open Data
With a commitment to transparency and accessibility, the City of Unley has embraced the power of open data, allowing residents, businesses, researchers, and other government agencies to explore and utilise a diverse range of Council datasets.
Open data is data (usually government data) that is freely open and available for anyone to access, share and use. It is generally:
- Available online
- Free wherever possible
- Published using agreed open standards
- Machine readable
- Openly licensed for commercial or other re-use.
Whether you are seeking demographic insights, environmental statistics or planning data, our Open Data Portal offers a comprehensive collection of up-to-date information from existing Council datasets and smart sensors as well as third party data from other government and non-government organisations.
Launch Open Data Portal
What are the benefits of open data?
Open data has been shown to:
- Facilitate evidence based policy making
- Encourage cross-sector collaboration
- Foster greater transparency and accountability
- Support Council to operate more cost effectively and efficiently
- Improve the governance of natural resources
- Monitor the impact of public programs
- Drive innovation and economic development
- Improve Council's service delivery
- Promote equitable growth
- Support the geolocation of data
- Inform decision making.
How does the City of Unley select which data to make available?
The City of Unley recognises the value of its data and it being appropriately available for the public to access, share and use.
As technology systems advance and collect data on places that people live, work, and play, Council must identify ways to share and utilise this data to maximise the value back to the community.
For the purpose of data sharing directly with other public sector agencies, City of Unley will be guided by the principles in the Public Sector (Data Sharing) Act 2016 whereby data is shared using the following Trusted Access Principles:
- Safe projects
- Safe people
- Safe data
- Safe settings
- Safe outputs.
The principles of the International Open Data Charter will guide the type of data the City of Unley will publish and how.
Principle 1: Open by Default
Non-sensitive data will be published unless its availability is restricted.
Principle 2: Timely and Comprehensive
To utilise data in its most valuable form, it must be complete and provided in a timely manner. Where possible, data will be made available as soon as practicable and will be appropriately classified, stored, and published to maintain a high standard of integrity.
Principle 3: Accessible and Usable
Data will be published in a manner that amplifies the user experience. This includes publishing data free of charge and where possible in formats that are:
- Easily accessible and usable
- Machine readable
- Spatially enabled
- Available for reuse
- Easily accessible and usable such as those published under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence.
Principle 4: Comparable and Interoperable
Council data will be published with a multiplier effect in mind. Compounding and connecting datasets using a common standard increases the value and utilisation of data.
Principle 5: For Improved Governance and Citizen Engagement
Data will be published to promote transparency, accountability, and community confidence in Council services and operations.
Principle 6: For Inclusive Development and Innovation
Datasets will be prioritised for release to enable discovery and innovative use. High-value datasets aligned with demand from other Council business units, the public, and industry as determined through stakeholder consultation will be given priority.
What do we protect?
Exceptions to open data will apply to protect sensitive information held by Council. These exceptions relate to requirements including but not limited to:
- Privacy
- Security
- Confidentiality
- Legal privilege
- Commercial considerations
- Public safety
- Public health
- Security and law enforcement
- Other legal compliance obligations.
Open Data and Privacy
The City of Unley's Open Data Policy(PDF, 127KB) provides guidance and advice for managing the publication of open data.
This policy was endorsed in conjunction with the City of Unley's Privacy Policy which recognises the importance of protecting the privacy of our community, staff, and stakeholders.
The Privacy Policy outlines Council’s position on the collection, use, storage, and disclosure of personal information, and how Council will adopt a best practice approach to managing personal information and data to ensure the protection of privacy.
More about Protecting Privacy