Ausdata MCP Server

28 tools over 9 AU gov data sources (ABS, RBA, ATO, APRA, AIHW, ASIC, AEMO, BOM, WGEA) via one key.

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What is the Ausdata MCP server?

Ausdata MCP server is a hosted integration for AI assistants that speak the Model Context Protocol. 28 tools over 9 AU gov data sources (ABS, RBA, ATO, APRA, AIHW, ASIC, AEMO, BOM, WGEA) via one key.

What you get

MCP server for the Australian public data API. Plug into Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, or any other MCP client and get one-call access to 100+ curated Australian government datasets across 9 sources.

Setting it up

Being a remote server, there is no local install. You register the endpoint with your client, authorise it once, and the tools appear.

What the assistant can call

Once Ausdata is connected, these are the calls the assistant has available:

  • search_datasets — Plain-English search across the catalog. "unemployment NSW" → dataset IDs to call
  • list_datasets — List curated datasets for a given source (abs, rba, ato, …)
  • describe_dataset — Schema + filter dictionary for one dataset before you get_data it
  • get_data — Generic accessor by source + dataset_id. Search first, fetch second
  • releases — Upcoming + recent statistical release calendar across all sources
  • real_wages — Wage Price Index minus CPI, quarterly. The Greg Jericho chart in one call
  • real_cash_rate — RBA cash rate minus CPI — the real policy stance
  • economic_dashboard — Cash rate, CPI, unemployment, wage growth, lending — in one response
  • cost_of_living — ABS Selected Living Cost Indexes by household type
  • youth_unemployment — 15-24 unemployment rate, state-level
  • trade_balance — Goods + services trade balance, monthly
  • housing_affordability — House prices vs household disposable income, indexed

Configuration and credentials

You will need 2 environment variables: AUSDATA_API_KEY, AUSDATA_API_URL. The server will not start without them, which is usually why the tools fail to appear on a first run. Keep credentials in your client's env block or a secrets manager rather than in a file you might commit.

Before you rely on it

  • Your data travels to the provider's service, so the usual questions apply about what you send and what they retain.
  • With 14 tools registered it takes up a noticeable share of the context window; turn it off in projects that never touch Ausdata.
  • Missing credentials fail quietly in some clients — if no tools show up, check the environment block first.
  • MCP clients confirm each tool call by default. Leave that on until you have watched what the ausdata mcp server does with a few real requests.

Choosing this one

Plenty of planning and project tracking servers cover similar ground. The differences that matter in practice are scope of access and how much setup stands between you and a working tool call. Ausdata's toolset — search_datasets, list_datasets, describe_dataset and 11 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by io.ausdata; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

We check each listing at SyncDev against the project's documentation before it goes live — if something here drifts out of date, it is a bug worth reporting.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
search_datasetsPlain-English search across the catalog. "unemployment NSW" → dataset IDs to call.
list_datasetsList curated datasets for a given source (abs, rba, ato, …).
describe_datasetSchema + filter dictionary for one dataset before you get_data it.
get_dataGeneric accessor by source + dataset_id. Search first, fetch second.
releasesUpcoming + recent statistical release calendar across all sources.
real_wagesWage Price Index minus CPI, quarterly. The Greg Jericho chart in one call.
real_cash_rateRBA cash rate minus CPI — the real policy stance.
economic_dashboardCash rate, CPI, unemployment, wage growth, lending — in one response.
cost_of_livingABS Selected Living Cost Indexes by household type.
youth_unemployment15-24 unemployment rate, state-level.
trade_balanceGoods + services trade balance, monthly.
housing_affordabilityHouse prices vs household disposable income, indexed.
gender_pay_contextWGEA gender pay gap by industry / employer-size context.
energy_snapshotAEMO NEM dispatch + price snapshot, current trading interval.

How to install the Ausdata MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ausdata": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "ausdata-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "AUSDATA_API_KEY": "ak_xxx"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
AUSDATA_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
AUSDATA_API_URLEndpoint or connection string the server talks to.Yes

Example prompts to try

  • Use Ausdata to search datasets.
  • Use Ausdata to list datasets.
  • Use Ausdata to describe dataset.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Ausdata to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 14 tools (search_datasets, list_datasets, describe_dataset, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Ausdata directly.