Year 11 founders build MyStreet to help residents understand nearby development
Two Year 11 students, Lachlan Hannan and Edward Bateman, have launched MyStreet, a NSW property-technology platform designed to make development applications easier for ordinary residents to discover, understand and monitor.
The website lets users search a NSW address, explore nearby development applications, use AI-powered summaries and monitor a property for relevant alerts. For Pittwater residents interested in changes around their homes, it offers a starting point for finding planning information and deciding which documents to read more closely.
The platform’s launch comes amid changes to community participation in planning. NSW’s statewide Community Participation Plan took effect on 1 September 2026, replacing more than 100 separate plans and standardising consultation and exhibition requirements.
According to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, certain listed lower-impact developments no longer require public exhibition where they comply with building height and floor space ratio controls. Proposals still require assessment, and the consultation requirements depend on the application. Transitional provisions also apply to applications lodged before the new plan commenced.
For residents, a useful first step is to identify the application number, its status and the authority handling it. An application describes proposed work; its appearance on a map does not mean that work has been approved. A “determined” status means a decision has been made, so the decision itself needs to be checked.
Northern Beaches Council’s application search provides access to application documents and information about making submissions. Its guidance encourages residents to review the plans and relevant planning controls before commenting, and to explain the specific planning issues behind their views. Where an application is open for comment, residents should check its closing date directly with Council.
MyStreet’s summaries are intended to help people navigate information. Readers should check the source documents and seek council or professional advice where needed, particularly when a proposal raises technical questions.
The service is independent of councils and the NSW Government. Its published limitations explain that coverage and update delays apply, and it cannot guarantee an alert before a consultation deadline or decision. A search returning no results should therefore not be treated as proof that no development is proposed.
Lachlan explained on Saturday October 17:
''The idea for MyStreet came from a development near home. It made the question of what’s being planned around you feel very real.''
''Edward and I wanted to build something that helped other people find that information and make sense of it.
''We’re building MyStreet alongside school. We spent a month designing, testing and refining it with users, turning that initial idea into something people can actually use. The aim is simple: make it easier to stay informed about the place you call home. You shouldn’t need to be a planning expert to get started.
''People can visit mystreetapp.com, search their NSW address and explore nearby applications, then check the original documents for the full picture. That’s what we hope MyStreet helps people do.''
Lachlan and Edward’s project brings a student-led approach to a practical problem: helping residents find the information behind a nearby proposal and keep track of relevant changes.
MyStreet is live at mystreetapp.com.
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