How to use the Data.NSW Open Data portal
Welcome to Data.NSW Open Data Portal – the central source of NSW public sector open data.
Much of the data in Data.NSW is open and accessible for everyone to use, modify or reuse for whatever purpose.
The Data.NSW Open Data Portal enables you to:
Search datasets
You can search for datasets uploaded to the Open Data Portal or from other NSW open data portals.
To find datasets, you can type any combination of search words (e.g. health, education, transport, etc.) in the search box. The portal displays the results for your search.
Explore data
Click the dataset you are interested in to display the dataset page. The dataset page provides:
- name, description and other information about the dataset
- links to and brief descriptions of each of the dataset resources.
Preview and download data
On the dataset page, click the "preview" button to directly view the data on the resource page. Please note that:
- only CSV and XLSX spreadsheets provide a grid view
- map and graph views are only available if the data is suitable.
On the dataset page or resource page, you can click the "download" button or click on the download URL.
You can browse our data catalogue to explore downloadable assets, interactive maps and insights.
There are several types of datasets and resources that you can access and use. These are the most common:
- a CSV file which provides data on a table format with columns and rows
- a report, such as a Data Quality Statement or flood study reports
- an image file, such as photographs or maps
- a geospatial file, containing data associated with locations or places, which means it can be viewed on a map
- a dashboard which includes graphs, charts and maps. They offer a visual way to interact with data and are usually linked to its source data.
Users have responsibilities when accessing and using NSW Government open data.
Understanding data
You should read the information about the dataset to familiarise and understand:
- How the data was collected or the origins of the data
- How it could be used
- Whether it can be compared with other, similar datasets
- Whether it can be linked to other datasets
- Its scope and any caveats or known or analytical limitations, and other relevant information.
Using data
Much of the data in Data.NSW will be open and accessible for everyone to use, modify or reuse for whatever purpose.
NSW Government releases open data using Creative Commons licenses. Read About CC Licenses - Creative Commons for more information.
However, there are some cases where you may be restricted on what you can do with the open data.
Make sure you understand the license conditions for any data that you’re using. If data has yet to have a license specified, please contact the data custodian to clarify the licensing for you.
Providing feedback
As a data user you are encouraged to contact the data custodians:
- to help identify which data to prioritise for release or improvement
- if you become aware of a breach of licence conditions or safeguards for personal, health or other sensitive information
- if any of the datasets are inaccurate, our-of-date or have become unavailable or inaccessible
- to share the insights discovered from open data or how open data was used.
It is important to note that agencies are the custodians of the data they collect, and they make decisions about how it can be shared safely. They are often guided by legislation and policy requirements that can define what and how data can be shared.