A Dubbo resident has been turning to a mobile application to resolve pedestrian problems in her area.
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Kris Stevens uses the Snap Send Solve app on her phone to inform Dubbo Regional Council of issues she comes across in the community. Whether it's a pothole, dying street tree, or a vehicle parked in a no park zone, anything that could pose a danger to the community can be scheduled for a fix.
Ms Stevens tripped over an uneven footpath on Dalton Street in South Dubbo and had gashed her knee. She immediately used the app's geotagging feature to pin the location of the footpath and notified council.
She said the council was "quite responsive" and if people were to send something through the app, they would acknowledge the problem.
"It only took them about a week to fix [the footpath]," Ms Stevens said.
"They notified me, and thanked me."
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The Snap Send Solve app can be downloaded on any smartphone. Once installed and opened, the app registers the location of the user and comes up with local authority options. They include local councils, post offices, phone and gas companies, and even the Environment Protection Authority.
If a user needs to report an issue, they can snap a picture of the problem and add some extra notes or information along with a GPS location. Once done, they can send the report to the relevant authority to be solved.
Next on Ms Steven's list is a "major" drainage issue at the end of her street. She said every time it rained, the water would pool and soon there would be a lake.
"That they have yet to deal with it, [but] somethings take longer to fix, and some problems can be done quite simply," she said.
Ms Stevens said council had "fairly limited" resources and could not have eyes everywhere. She said the "handy app" made it very easy to report anything that needed attention.
"Their staff can't be everywhere so they often don't know about issues until they're raised by members of the public," she said. "I just think it's a really useful tool."
Residents all over the country have been using the app to report local problems. Snap Send Solve chief executive officer Danny Gorog was inspired to launch the app after encountering a broken swing in a Melbourne park.
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