The City of Light’s post-pandemic night-time economy bounce back has outpaced capital cities around Australia, according to a recent report released by the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors.
The City of Light’s post-pandemic night-time economy bounce back has outpaced capital cities around Australia, according to a recent report released by the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors.
The commissioned report measured the Australian night-time economy for establishments operating between 6pm and 6am for the period 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022. It found Perth to be a standout performer in a post-pandemic environment in the core night-time establishment categories of drink, leisure and entertainment, and food.
City of Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas called out Perth’s strong employment performance, as highlighted in the report.
“What this report proves is that in a very challenging post-pandemic context, our City of Light was humming with activity, and the people of Perth were flocking to world-class entertainment and food.
“The flow-on effect from vibrant streets full of people and activity, is jobs. In a period where making a living has never been harder, we saw a remarkable growth in employment in our city, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 13 per cent. This easily outperformed national trends,” he said.
Even taking inflation into account, sales turnover is another metric which puts Perth to the top of the list of high performing cities analysed within the report.
“Similarly, in a massive boost for our businesses, Perth returned record sales turnover for the period in our core night-time establishments. For the 2021/22 year the city’s sales turnover was up a staggering 16 per cent on pre-pandemic levels, again outpacing the national average.”
The report also highlights the diversification of Perth’s night-time economy away from a focus on drinking establishments.
“One of the really pleasing outcomes has been the diversification of our offerings here in the city. In the 2021/22 period alone, the number of leisure and entertainment establishments grew by 16 per cent, which included an impressive growth in sales turnover of 9 per cent within this night-time economy sub-sector.
“In contrast, the number of drink establishments fell by 8 per cent through that period, which is a clear indicator that the mix of places and experiences in the city to take your family to or meet up with friends after work and on the weekends is changing,” Mr Zempilas said.
“Importantly, this shift is complementing our drink establishments as evidenced by the sales turnover for these businesses increasing by 11 per cent to $320 million during this period. Jobs in these establishments were also up by 14 per cent.
“Comparatively, we’re in an enviable position here in Perth. Everything the City of Perth has done in the period following this report, including attracting events and activations, grants for al fresco and outdoor dining and offering free parking initiatives, have been designed to build on and better our position. The report is a tick of approval for our progress.
“The City of Light is already the events and entertainment capital of Western Australia, with state-of-the-art venues to a world-class dining scene, there is something for everyone right here in the city – and there’s plenty more to come for Perth,” Mr Zempilas concluded.
Perth outcomes versus national outcomes against pre-pandemic figures (2018/19):
| Core NTE outcomes in… | Perth 21/22 | National 21/22 |
| Employment | +13% | -6% |
| Sales turnover | +16% | +5% |
Diversification of Perth Core NTE establishments versus national outcomes during 21/22 period:
| Increase in establishments in… | Perth 21/22 | National 21/22 |
| Leisure & Entertainment | +16% | +12% |
| Food | +1.8% | +4% |
The report ‘Measuring the Australian Night Time Economy 2021-22’ is available to view in full here.
