News monitoring
We track local and national news coverage about service delivery — burst mains, refuse strikes, road closures — and log the issues it surfaces against the right city and suburb.
Where the information comes from
Two sources, one public record of what's broken
PublicLens is built on information we gather from the news and information residents submit themselves. Both feed the same public scoreboard, so anyone can see how their area is performing against the next one.
People on the ground
Residents, ward committees and community groups submit what they see in their own streets. This is the backbone of the dataset: eyes on every block, updated daily.
Photo + GPS evidence
Every submission carries a photo and an automatic GPS pin, so a report is verifiable rather than an anonymous complaint.
Credits
Every submission earns you credits
When you report an issue — and when it is verified and moves through the city's workflow — you earn PublicLens credits. Your street gets fixed and you get value back for the effort. It's a win win: the city gets accurate, located, photographed data, and residents get rewarded for supplying it.
Vote on new projects
Spend credits to back suggested projects in your area — the ones with the most credits behind them get prioritised and published.
Buy from our network
Use credits with partner merchants, hardware suppliers and local service providers in the PublicLens network.
Discount vouchers
Convert credits into vouchers you can use on everyday purchases with participating partners.
Convert to cash
Once you pass the payout threshold, credits can be cashed out. Reporting a pothole should not cost you anything.
Start earning on your first report
Snap it, send it, track it — then watch your credit balance and your area's score move.