Drones have become not only readily accessible but also
affordable, compact and easy to operate. $2,000 can buy a drone
capable of flying more than six kilometres with automated guidance,
stabilisation and collision-avoidance systems and high-definition
cameras.
As farmers consider how to use drones beneficially in their
businesses, others on the outside are using them to peer in.
In 2013, animal welfare group Animal Liberation was reported by
the ABC to have purchased a drone and used it to capture footage of
the treatment of birds on a free-range egg farm. This year, the
Wilderness Society used a crowd-funding campaign to raise $33,266
to buy three drones to film land clearing in Queensland, New South
Wales and Western Australia. The goal: to "edit footage into
compelling packages" to influence public debate and law
making.
