The Council of Capital City Lord Mayors (CCCLM) is pleased to release updated research on the Australian night time economy for 2017-18.

CCCLM Chair, Lord Mayor of Hobart Anna Reynolds said “now in its ninth year, this important research captures the scale, diversity and direction of the development of Local, State and Territory and National night time economy activity. This research supports city councils’ decision making by measuring existing strategies and developing policy that contributes to providing safe and vibrant city experiences”.

This research demonstrates that the national night time economy continues to significantly contribute to the Australian economy as a whole, and between 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 the national night time economy:

  • Comprises of 108,061 establishments (growth of 2.5%)
  • Employs 1,119,290 people (up by 2.1%)
  • Generated nearly $134 billion in turnover (reflecting 3.8% growth)

Establishments predominantly involved in the food industry continue to be the main driver of the night time economy. Whilst growth slowed slightly in the 2017-18 financial year, the sector still represents 63% of NTE establishments and grew by 2.5%.  The entertainment sector enjoyed the greatest growth nationally, growing by 3.3% which provided opportunity for a 3.4% increase of employment.

State and Territory results show that NSW and Victoria are the largest contributors to the night time economy, whilst Victoria has again this year grown at a faster rate than NSW. Similar to the national results, growth in most States and Territories has been primarily driven by the entertainment sector.

The report, available below, provides analysis of each of Australia’s capital cities and member-councils contributing to the report, including the Central Coast, Georges River, Liverpool, Newcastle, Northern Beaches and Parramatta in NSW, Gold Coast in Queensland, and Port Phillip and Maroondah (in Victoria).  Most of these city councils are working on strategies to develop their night time economies, and the continued growth in the night time economy is testimony to the strategies and initiatives city councils provide that facilitate successful and safe 24-hour cities.

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