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Abstract Maximising opportunities to unlock the potential of national pollution datasets may provide the catalyst to increase transparency of pollution data, foster better communication between government agencies and industry pollutant emitters, and ultimately result in a more effective cleaner production program. In many countries, pollution data is required to be collected and reported under national Pollutant and Transfer Registers (PRTRs), which are becoming established environmental policy tools across the world. This study considers the Australian PRTR experience, by examining data use of its National Pollutant Inventory (NPI). Australian government and industry stakeholders were surveyed (n = 132) about their application of national pollution data, and their views towards potential improvements. The results indicated that government employees and researchers primarily used the inventory to obtain information about pollution, conduct research or to develop and review environmental policies and programs. However it was clear that, due to current limitations with the inventory, its use has not been fully maximised to inform environmental management or for research purposes. Stakeholders called for changes to more robust and nationally consistent emission estimation methods, and increased comprehensiveness, along with a requirement to incorporate international best practice with regards to emission inventories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]