Answers,
not dashboards.
Place AU turns planning, performance and development data into short, decision-ready reports. Buy a Business Investment Report instantly. Council and developer briefs are scoped and delivered directly.
Answers aren't.
Still no answer.
We give you the answer.
Clear output. Ready to act.
Every time.
One self-serve report. Three consulting briefs.
Buy and download the Business Investment Report right now. Consulting briefs are scoped and delivered directly, typical turnaround 3-5 business days.
Business Investment Report
Demographic, income and workforce intelligence with a ranked opportunity read, for any Australian suburb or LGA.
Council Performance Brief
Benchmark your council against state, metro and peer councils before a scrutiny hearing or strategy review.
Development Alignment Brief
Know what council will and won't approve at a site, before you go to exchange.
Housing Needs Assessment
A defensible evidence base on housing demand, supply gaps and delivery against state targets.
Fixed scope. Clear output. Ready to act.
For the self-serve report: choose your geography, pay once, download immediately. No account required.
Choose geography
Search by suburb, postcode or LGA name across all Australian geographies.
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Stripe checkout, GST included. A$149 suburb, A$249 LGA.
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Two decades of data experience, aimed at one problem.
Place AU converts open government data into structured, commercially useful reports for councils, developers, investors and businesses. It draws on sources such as the ABS Census, DataVic and other licensed government datasets, and delivers complete, defensible reports rather than raw data or dashboards.
The gap it fills is not access. Most of the data is already public. The gap is interpretation, understanding what the numbers actually mean for a site, a council or an investment decision. Founded by Dieter Krusic-Golub after two decades spent inside that exact problem, across data, analytics and enterprise SaaS.
Recent updates
Victorian Housing Target Delivery Tracker
All 79 Victorian LGAs tracked against Plan for Victoria 2051 targets.
Data Centres in Australia: the state of play
What government data shows about the sector's growth and constraints.
Construction cost drivers, explained
A plain read on what's actually moving build costs across the states.
Every sample is the real report.
Choose the geography level that best matches your needs.
Search for an Australian suburb by name or postcode.
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Self-serve reports - delivery and satisfaction
Business Investment Reports are generated and delivered digitally upon payment. Because reports are produced instantly and contain information specific to your selected geography, they are generally non-refundable once generated. If you are not satisfied with your report, contact us at info@placeau.com within 14 days of purchase and we will review your concern. We aim to resolve all genuine product quality issues promptly.
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The content on this website is provided for general information only. It is not legal, financial, planning, valuation, engineering, tax or other professional advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for obtaining advice tailored to your circumstances.
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We may change website content, service descriptions or this Disclaimer at any time without notice by publishing an updated version on this website.
Back to main pageData Governance
Place AU reports are built exclusively on open government data. This page sets out how we source, license and govern that data.
Sourcing policy
All Place AU reports are built exclusively on open government data licensed for commercial reuse under Creative Commons and equivalent licences. No proprietary data, no commercial data subscriptions, no third-party aggregators. Our analysis is reproducible, our sources are publicly verifiable, and there are no licensing dependencies that affect what we can publish.
Primary sources
We draw on the Australian Bureau of Statistics (Census, ERP, Building Approvals, Business Register, Labour Force), DataVic and equivalent state open data portals (NSW, QLD, SA, WA), the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning, Homes Victoria, VCAT, Victoria in Future projections, Melbourne Water, the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council and Infrastructure Victoria. Every figure in a report can be traced back to a named, publicly available source.
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Personal data collected at point of purchase (email address) is used solely to deliver your report and send a download link. It is not shared with third parties for marketing purposes. Payment processing is handled by Stripe - Place AU does not store card details. See our Privacy Policy for full details.
Back to main pageNews & Reports
Updates, trackers and published analysis from Place AU. Full pieces are published on LinkedIn or as standalone reports - this page links straight to them.
Interpretation,
not just data.
Place AU converts open government data into structured, commercially useful intelligence for Australian councils, developers and businesses. Built on two decades spent watching the same problem repeat: more data, better tools, still no clear answers.
The data was never the problem.
Place AU was founded by Dieter Krusic-Golub after two decades watching the same pattern repeat across every organisation he worked in. Planning teams overwhelmed by dashboards. Developers chasing permit signals across fragmented council systems. Investors trying to interpret population trends from disconnected spreadsheets. In every case, the raw data existed. What was missing was translation.
Most planning and investment data in Australia is already public. The ABS Census, DataVic, state planning departments and dozens of other government sources publish enormous amounts of it. What's missing is the step between the numbers and a decision: what does this actually mean for a site, a council or an investment case. That's the gap Place AU is built to close.
Rather than another dashboard or data portal, Place AU produces complete, defensible reports. Structured, sourced and ready to act on, without a subscription or a training session required to use them.
Four things we don't compromise on.
The same standards apply whether it's a A$149 suburb report or a scoped council engagement.
01Retrieve first, explain second
Every figure is pulled from government data before any narrative is written. AI is used strictly for interpretation, never to generate numbers.
02Government data only
No commercial data providers, no proprietary panels, no estimates dressed up as facts. Every figure traces to a named public source.
03National by default
Coverage spans all Australian suburbs and the 537 LGAs across every state and territory, not a single metro area.
04Reproducible and transparent
Sources and vintages are stated in every report. Nothing is a black box, and nothing depends on a licensing arrangement we can't disclose.
Two decades across data, analytics and advisory.
Place AU is shaped by two decades spent working directly inside the problem it now solves, across legal and financial data licensing, ratings methodology, commercial strategy, geospatial platforms and demographic forecasting for local government.
That range matters more than any single role. Financial data taught what happens when sourcing discipline is treated as non-negotiable. Geospatial platforms taught how to make boundary-accurate data usable, not just available. Local government demographic work taught what councils actually need from a report, not what's easiest to publish. Place AU is what that combination looks like applied to Australian planning and investment data.
What governs every report.
Accuracy over completeness
A shorter, correct report beats a longer one padded with estimates. If a figure can't be sourced, it doesn't go in.
No proprietary dependencies
Every source is publicly available and licensed for commercial reuse. Nothing depends on a data subscription that could disappear.
Plain English, always
A report should be usable by a councillor, a developer and an investor without a glossary. Clarity is a design constraint, not an afterthought.
Every source is named and public.
The full sourcing policy and primary source list is on the Data Governance page.
See what Place AU can tell you about a place.
See all products →Business Investment
Report
A data-driven investment brief for anyone deciding where to open, expand or invest. Demographics, income, workforce, competition and a ranked opportunity read for any Australian suburb or LGA, generated in under a minute.
Six sections. Every figure sourced.
Not a data dump. A structured read built to answer one question: is this location worth backing, and why.
01Demographic profile
Population, age structure, household composition and growth trajectory for the selected geography.
02Income & affluence
Median household income benchmarked against metro and state averages, with disposable income context.
03Workforce & industry
Employment by industry, occupation mix and labour force participation drawn from ABS Census and Labour Force data.
04Cultural & household mix
Diversity profile and household types, relevant to demand for specific retail, food and service formats.
05SWOT & opportunity ranking
Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, with business categories ranked by fit for the location.
06Outlook & risks
Forward-looking read on growth trajectory, competitive pressure and what could change the opportunity.
Retrieve first. Explain second.
The distinction that matters: every figure in your report is pulled from government data before any narrative is written. Nothing is generated or estimated by AI.
Geography resolved
Your suburb or LGA selection is matched to official ABS ASGS boundary geometry, the same boundaries the ABS itself publishes against.
Data retrieved
Population, income, workforce, business and growth figures are pulled directly from ABS Census, ABS Building Approvals and other named government sources. This happens before any AI involvement.
Figures validated
Retrieved numbers are checked against each other and against expected ranges before the report is assembled, catching stale or inconsistent data automatically.
Narrative written
Only once the figures are locked does AI write the plain-English interpretation, explaining what the retrieved data means and never inventing what it should say.
Government data only. Always.
No commercial data providers, no proprietary panels, no estimates dressed up as facts. Every figure traces to a named, publicly available source.
The samples are the real reports.
Not stripped-down previews. The actual output, full length, real ABS figures. Kew is a suburb report, Mitchell Shire is an LGA report. What you order is what you get.
View the Kew suburb sample →View the Mitchell Shire LGA sample →Before you order
How current is the data?
Every report states the vintage of every figure it uses. Core demographic data is ABS Census 2021, refreshed with current-year ERP, Building Approvals and labour force releases where available.
What's the difference between suburb and LGA reports?
Suburb reports focus on a single locality. LGA reports cover the whole council area with an SA2-level breakdown, useful when comparing opportunity across multiple suburbs within one LGA.
Can I get this for a geography outside Victoria?
Yes. Coverage is national, covering all Australian suburbs and the 537 LGAs across every state and territory.
What format do I get?
Both a print-ready PDF and an editable Word document, delivered instantly and also emailed with a 7-day download link.
Is this a substitute for professional advice?
No. It's decision-support: a structured, sourced starting point. For site-specific due diligence, pair it with our Development Alignment Brief or independent advice.
Pick a geography. Get your answer in under a minute.
Order a Business Investment Report →Council Performance
Brief
An executive brief that benchmarks your council against state, metro and peer councils using independent government data. Built for scrutiny hearings, strategy reviews and councillor briefings.
Six sections. Every signal sourced.
Not a repeat of what your council already publishes. A read on what independent government data shows that internal reporting tends to smooth over.
01Executive summary
The three or four signals that matter most, ranked and stated plainly up front.
02Community satisfaction
Multi-year CSS trend against metro and state averages, broken down by service area.
03Planning system performance
Decision speed and statutory compliance benchmarked against named peer councils.
04Financial sustainability
Headline surplus vs adjusted underlying result, rates concentration and grant income structure.
05Peer benchmarking
Named comparator councils, not anonymised averages, so the gap is concrete.
06Management implications
What each signal means for councillors and management, ranked by priority.
Retrieve first. Explain second.
Every figure in your brief is pulled from independent government data sources before any narrative is written. Nothing is generated or estimated.
Council scoped
Your council and the priority question (scrutiny hearing, strategy review, councillor briefing) are confirmed before analysis begins.
Indicators retrieved
Community Satisfaction Survey, PPARS, LGPRF and VAGO data are pulled directly for your council and named peer councils.
Benchmarked
Figures are set against metro and state averages and against specific peer councils, not generic ranges.
Narrative written
Only once the figures are locked does the brief explain what they mean for management, never inventing what the data should say.
Government data only. Always.
No commercial panels, no estimates. Every figure traces to a named, publicly available government source.
The Boroondara sample is the real brief.
Not a stripped-down preview. The actual output, full length, real government data. What you commission is what you get.
View the Boroondara sample →Before you commission a brief
How is this different to what our council already publishes?
Council reporting is often accurate but framed conservatively. This brief pulls the same or adjacent government datasets and surfaces the multi-year trend and peer comparison that internal reporting tends to smooth over.
Can this be used publicly or at a council meeting?
Yes. Every figure is sourced from public government data, so the brief can be tabled, quoted or referenced without disclosure issues.
How many peer councils are compared?
Typically 3-5 named comparator councils, chosen for genuine similarity in size, geography or profile rather than a broad anonymised average.
Is this available outside Victoria?
Our depth is currently Victorian local government. Interstate councils are taken on request, scoped to the equivalent state reporting frameworks.
Get a benchmarked read on your council's performance.
Tell us about your council →Development Alignment
Brief
A site-focused brief for developers, consultants and landowners covering planning controls, permit signals and a plain-English read on what council will and won't approve, before you go to exchange.
Six sections. Every control sourced.
Not a legal opinion. A structured read on what the site can realistically support, and what to resolve before you lodge.
01Site controls & zoning
Zoning, height controls and schedule requirements affecting the site and immediate context.
02Overlay & heritage exposure
Heritage, character, flood and other overlays that shape what can be built and how.
03Recent permit activity
Approval and refusal rates for the local area over the past several years.
04VCAT outcome trend
Appeal rates and council's track record at VCAT for comparable proposals nearby.
05Issues & evidence gaps
What's likely to be contested, ranked by severity, and what evidence resolves it.
06Plain-English alignment view
A direct read on the realistic pathway for the site, before you commit capital.
Retrieve first. Explain second.
Every control and figure in your brief is pulled from official planning and decision data before any narrative is written. Nothing is generated or estimated.
Site identified
Your site or suburb is matched against the relevant council planning scheme and state planning provisions.
Controls retrieved
Zoning, overlays, permit history and VCAT decisions are pulled directly from Vicmap Planning, PPAR and the VCAT decisions database.
Benchmarked against comparable sites
Recent decisions on similar proposals nearby are used to calibrate what's realistic, not just what's technically permitted.
Narrative written
Only once the controls and decisions are locked does the brief write the plain-English read, never inventing what council would decide.
Government data only. Always.
No commercial panels, no estimates. Every control and figure traces to a named, publicly available government source.
The Kew sample is the real brief.
Not a stripped-down preview. The actual output, full length, real planning and VCAT data. What you commission is what you get.
View the Kew sample →Before you commission a brief
Is this a substitute for a planning consultant or legal advice?
No. It's a sourced, structured starting point for due diligence. For lodgement-ready documentation, you'll still need a town planner, heritage consultant or legal advice specific to the site.
How current is the permit and VCAT data?
Planning scheme data is checked against VicPlan at time of preparation. Permit and VCAT figures are the most recent published datasets, with the source and date stated in the brief.
Can this be used before I make an offer?
Yes, that's the intended use. It's built to inform due diligence before exchange, not after.
Is this available outside Victoria?
Our depth is currently Victorian planning schemes. Interstate sites are taken on request, scoped to the equivalent state planning framework.
Know what council will approve before you exchange.
Tell us about your site →Housing Needs
Assessment
Council-focused analysis of housing demand, supply gaps, affordability and delivery against state housing targets, built as a defensible evidence base for strategy and submissions.
Six sections. Every figure sourced.
Built as a defensible evidence base, not a summary. Every target, gap and projection traces to a named government source.
01LGA overview & key indicators
Population, dwellings, social housing stock and headline housing cost context.
02Demographic & population analysis
Age profile shift and projected growth against Victoria in Future projections.
03Supply & affordability
Building approvals run-rate, price-to-income gap and rental affordability by income quintile.
04State housing target assessment
Current delivery pace measured against the confirmed state target and infill requirement.
05Suburb / SA2 focus breakdown
A closer look at the highest-priority suburb or activity centre within the LGA.
06Evidence requirements
What still needs to be commissioned to make the submission fully defensible.
Retrieve first. Explain second.
Every figure in your assessment is pulled from government data before any narrative is written. Nothing is generated or estimated.
LGA and focus area identified
Your LGA and any priority suburb or activity centre are confirmed before analysis begins.
Data retrieved
Population, dwelling, building approvals and target figures are pulled directly from ABS Census, VIF, DTP and Homes Victoria.
Delivery gap calculated
Current approval run-rate is measured against the required annual pace to meet the confirmed state target.
Narrative written
Only once the figures are locked does the assessment explain what the gap means for strategy and submissions.
Government data only. Always.
No commercial panels, no estimates. Every figure traces to a named, publicly available government source.
The Boroondara sample is the real assessment.
Not a stripped-down preview. The actual output, full length, real government data. What you commission is what you get.
View the Boroondara sample →Before you commission an assessment
Is the housing target figure current?
Yes. Every target cited is checked against the final, confirmed Plan for Victoria figures, not superseded draft numbers, with the source and date stated in the assessment.
Can this be used in a formal council submission?
Yes. It's built as a defensible evidence base with named, traceable government sources throughout, suitable for strategy documents and formal submissions.
What geography levels are covered?
LGA level as standard, with SA2 and suburb-level breakdowns available for the areas that matter most to your strategy.
Is this available outside Victoria?
Our depth is currently Victorian housing targets and DTP data. Interstate LGAs are taken on request, scoped to the equivalent state housing framework.
Build a defensible evidence base for your housing strategy.
Tell us about your LGA →Find the right area for your business, backed by government data.
Tell us what you are opening. Business Match classifies it against the ANZSIC 2006 industry structure, then scores every SA2 and every LGA in your state on seven weighted factors built from ABS data. Pick a catchment, click any area, see how it scores and why.
What are you opening?
How Business Match works
- Classification. What you type is matched against an index of ANZSIC 2006 (Revision 2.0) industries with plain English synonyms and tolerance for typos. Consumer and service industries resolve to a four digit ANZSIC class. Agriculture, mining, manufacturing, utilities and wholesale resolve to a two digit subdivision, because those class codes could not be independently confirmed and a coarser correct code beats a precise wrong one.
- Seven scored factors. Resident population and annual growth (ABS Regional Population). Household spending capacity, measured as median equivalised total household income (ABS Data by Region Income theme, Census 2021 basis). Economic resources (ABS SEIFA 2021 Index of Economic Resources). Target demographic fit (ABS Census 2021 age structure, matched to the age groups your industry serves). Industry presence, the count of businesses in your ANZSIC division per 1,000 residents (ABS Counts of Australian Businesses via the Data by Region Economy and industry theme). Transport access, the share of dwellings with no motor vehicle (ABS Census 2021).
- Scoring. Each factor is converted to a national percentile rank across every area in Australia, multiplied by a weighting for your industry, and summed to a score out of 100. Percentile ranking replaced min-max scaling so that one extreme area no longer flattens the rest, and so that a score means the same thing today as it did last week. Weightings are a documented design choice. The underlying figures are always real ABS data.
- Business counts are by ANZSIC division, not class. The ABS publishes small area business counts at division level only. Your four digit class rolls up to its division for the industry presence factor, and the card shows which division it rolled up to. Anyone claiming class level competitor counts at suburb scale is modelling, not reporting.
- Density is measured per square kilometre, not per resident. Dividing businesses by resident population makes every CBD look extraordinary and every growth corridor look empty, because CBDs have few residents and enormous commercial floorspace. Per square kilometre measures precinct intensity, which is what the factor is actually for.
- Suppression is disclosed, not filled. The ABS randomly adjusts small business counts and sets some small cells to zero to protect confidentiality. A zero in a small area may be a true zero or a suppressed value and the two cannot be told apart. Where a figure is missing the factor is dropped and the remaining weights are renormalised, never guessed.
- Travel time catchments are modelled, not measured. Walk and drive catchments are computed over the OpenStreetMap road network by OpenRouteService. They estimate reachability. Straight line radius uses real boundary centroids and no external service. Every population, dwelling and business figure reported inside a catchment remains ABS sourced.
- Not a substitute for a report. Business Match is a starting signal built from free public data. Site viability also turns on rent, lease terms, floorplate, exposure, parking, zoning and the competitor immediately next door.
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