


WESTIR Ltd is a not-for-profit community organisation, standing for Western Sydney Regional Information and Research Service. Since 1981, we have been committed to enhancing accessibility to social research and data for everyone in Greater Western Sydney (GWS) and beyond. We address current and potential issues by collecting, analysing, and interpreting information, making it readily available to the community. Our guiding principle is to ‘let the data run free.’ For information about our Board, staff and WESTIR’s Strategic Plan, click the link below.
WESTIR has available current data and information about Greater Western Sydney, and beyond, for you to use.
Homelessness remains a global issue in the 21st century. In Australia, financial factors are a huge driver, for instance, poverty, unemployment, and housing unaffordability. Social housing supply has declined in terms of its share of all housing, and private sector rents have increased considerably against earnings growth.
Drawing on data from the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census, this report presents an overview of mental health conditions within Greater Western Sydney.

WESTIR Limited analyses data from the Australian Census Report of Population and Housing for Greater Western Sydney.
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WESTIR holds current, and a library, of our publications and data over the years.
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WESTIR Limited analyses data from the Australian Census Report of Population and Housing for Greater Western Sydney.
EXPLORE ALL

WESTIR holds current, and a library, of our publications and data over the years.
EXPLORE ALL
We provide data expertise to organisations to build their data analysis skills, utilise a range of contemporary data visualisation approaches to support data interpretation, and deliver tailored data consultancy services.


Our research projects offer valuable assistance to services by uncovering essential data-driven insights.
Our service and program evaluation expertise serves as a vital resource for those aiming to maximise their impact.
By conducting client surveys, we gather valuable feedback that illuminates perspectives and preferences, aiding services in understanding their clients.
Our expertise in demographic and statistical data analysis provides a crucial advantage to others seeking actionable insights.

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Stay up to date with our latest publications, news and reports.
The Carer Knowledge Exchange is holding an interactive webinar on 'Empowering First Nations Carer Voices: Transforming Policy and Practice'. on Wednesday, 26 February 2025 from 11am to 12.30pm. ... See MoreSee Less
CKE webinar: Empowering First Nations carer voices - Transforming policy and practice
analytics-au.clickdimensions.com
By registering for this event and providing your personal information you are consenting to us collecting and storing this information on our database in order to comply with our legal and reporting r...An interesting article from Murdoch's Centre for Community Child Health. 'Perspectives and pragmatics: Can we restack the odds for the world’s children?' by Prof Sharon Goldfeld AM (25/1/25). This piece was originally published by the OECD in the Key Messages from their Reducing Inequalities by Investing in Early Childhood Education and Care Report. "As a developmental paediatrician, a public health researcher and a seasoned health and education public servant, I see the ability to help a single child and family, and the importance of keeping populations of children healthy and developing well, as carrying equal weight. Both important, but solutions will vary because the perspectives of children, families, communities and governments matter. Considering all perspectives is vital to finding new ways to turn mere hope into more equitable outcomes for our children. This is messy but urgent." The article can be read by clicking the link below. ... See MoreSee Less
Perspectives and pragmatics: Can we restack the odds for the world’s children? - Centre for Community Child Health
www.ccch.org.au
The Centre for Community Child Health tackles the unjust differences in children's health, development and wellbeing, known as inequities. By working together, we can ensure every child has the opport...The confronting data exposing the patterns behind gendered violence deaths ... See MoreSee Less
The confronting data exposing the patterns behind gendered violence deaths
ab.co
An analysis of data by the ABC shows 69 women were killed in instances of gendered violence last year in Australia. All but 10 were killed by someone known to them.This opinion piece is really interesting. It covers the use of ChatGPT in research and discusses its strengths, limitations, and ethical considerations.
For the use of ChatGPT in research, the author points out the following:
1. Title & Abstract: Generates research titles and condenses findings into clear summaries. Human review ensures precision.
2. Introduction & Literature Review: Helps structure background and research context, but recent studies must be manually integrated.
3. Methodology & Data Handling: Offers guidance on study design but should not replace expert-driven methods or statistical tools.
4. Discussion & References: Summarizes findings, but manual editing is essential—especially for accurate citations.
The limitations and challenges include:
1. Bias & Interpretability – AI can reflect biases from its training data.
2. Inconsistency – Responses may vary, requiring oversight.
3. Plagiarism Risks – AI-generated content must be verified for originality.
4. Limited Expertise – ChatGPT lacks deep domain knowledge in specialized fields.
------- Bottom line: ChatGPT is a powerful tool for research writing, but human expertise is irreplaceable. Use it wisely!
Source:
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10731938/
#AIinResearch #ChatGPT #AcademicWriting #EthicalAI ... See MoreSee Less
Global average life expectancy has more than double since 1900. (Our World in Data, Herre 5/2/25). In 1900 the average life expectancy was only 32 years and in 2023 it was 73 years. This remarkable increase is due to improved living standards, like better nutrition and sanitation, and advances in healthcare, such as antibiotics and vaccines.
While large declines in child mortality have been crucial, they have not been the only reason for the increase in life expectancy; it has increased across all ages. ... See MoreSee Less
Global average life expectancy has more than doubled since 1900
ourworldindata.org
We can expect to live more than twice as long as our ancestors in 1900.The Conversation reports on a first of its kind study on a National Survey on LGBTIQA+SB Exeperiences of Sexual Violence (Salter, Kaladelfos, Breckenridge, Lee 10/2/25). Australia’s LGBTIQA+SB* communities have long been overlooked in discussions about the prevention of and responses to sexual violence, despite evidence they are at increased risk. They note that there is a lack of data on sexual violence affecting this community in national data collection. While they note that the findings of the national survey can’t be generalised to all LGBTIQA+SB Australians. But they do give us important insights into experiences in these communities. ... See MoreSee Less
Breaking the silence: new research highlights the impact of sexual violence on queer and gender-diverse Australians
theconversation.com
A new study finds many LGBTIQA+SB Australians have experienced sexual violence, and we need a more targeted and informed approach to dealing with it.The Conversation (Coates, Moloney, Bowes 9/2/25) have an article that states that 'Most retirees who rent live in poverty. Here’s how boosting rent assistance could help lift them out of it.' Most Australians can look forward to a comfortable retirement. More than three in four retirees own their own home, most report feeling comfortable financially, and few suffer financial stress. But their new Grattan Institute report paints a sobering picture for one group: retirees who rent in the private market. Two-thirds of this group live in poverty, including more than three in four single women who live alone. ... See MoreSee Less
Most retirees who rent live in poverty. Here’s how boosting rent assistance could help lift them out of it
theconversation.com
New research shows how much we’d need to increase Commonwealth Rent Assistance to bring retirees who rent out of poverty.The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare - AIHW has relased the 3rd annual report of Australia's Disability Strategy 2021-23. It provides an overview of the progress being made on outcomes for people with disability in 2024. In 2024, 36 measures have updated post-baseline data. Twenty measures were given a progress status update for the first time, including 18 measures from the Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers. ... See MoreSee Less
Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031 Outcomes Framework: Second annual report, About
www.aihw.gov.au
This is the second annual report for Australia@s Disability Strategy 2021@2031 Outcomes Framework. It provides an overview of the progress being made on outcomes for people with disability eighteen...The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare - AIHW has released the monthly data for Medicare Benefits Scheme funded services. This report presents monthly data on the usage rates of these health services as well as the MBS subsidy rate (that is, the proportion of the cost of these services funded through the MBS, as opposed to via patient contributions and other arrangements such as private health insurance). The data can be looked at nationally, state-wide and by LGA. ... See MoreSee Less
Medicare Benefits Scheme funded services: monthly data, About
www.aihw.gov.au
The Australian Government subsidises the cost of health services covered by the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) for all Australians since 1984. This report presents monthly data on the usage rates...