Wollongong-headquartered startup MyLot has won the GovtTech Project, Product or Service category at the InnovationAus 2024 Awards for Excellence for its AI-powered planning tool.
The InnovationAus 2024 Awards for Excellence were presented at a black-tie gala dinner at The Venue Alexandria in Sydney on Wednesday night.
MyLot won the award thanks to its artificial intelligence-powered planning assistant that is helping individuals communicate with their local council and streamlining the planning application process.
The GovTech Project, Product or Service category was sponsored by Reason Group. The award was presented on the night by Reason Group founder and CEO William Scheer.
MyLot utilised the rapid growth and availability of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to improve how constituents interact with regulators and local councils.
The small team developed a proof-of-concept for an AI-powered planning assistant for the Yarra Ranges Council in Victoria.
The tool proved to be highly effective in streamlining the planning application process with the council thanks to being able to provide instant advice and assistance to individuals based on legislation and regulations.
“Our goal is to democratise access to expertise and understanding of complex planning regulations, ensuring that regulation remains important but not overly cumbersome,” MyLot’s Alex Cheek said.
The MyLot AI assistant helps individuals to clarify their permit needs, understand site-specific requirements and obtain advice in real-time, helping to avoid unnecessary delays and plan their next step.
The tool is able to interpret the complex planning rules and legislation that exist around the country and distil them into simple and straightforward answers.
Council employers are also able to access a secure dashboard with records of all interactions with MyLot, allowing them to review the advice being offered and provide further customer service.
MyLot participated in the University of Wollongong’s iAccelerate startup accelerator and has also received support from the New South Wales government.
The MyLot tool has received rave reviews from the Yarra Ranges Council, whose manager of planning and building Amanda Kern said it had “simplified statutory planning in ways [she] never thought possible”.
The other finalists in the GovTech Project, Product or Service category were the NSW Smart Sensing Network, Jobs and Skills Australia and Payble.
The InnovationAus 2024 Awards for Excellence are supported by the Australian Computer Society, Investment NSW, Department of Industry, Science and Resources, Technology Council of Australia, TechnologyOne, National Artificial Intelligence Centre, CSIRO’s ON Innovation Program, Reason Group, Q-CTRL, University of New South Wales, South by South-West Sydney and IP Australia.
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