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ARTICLE · 21 MAY 2018

No longer flying under the radar: the future of drone regulation

Corrs Chambers Westgarth
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Drone technology provides a number of opportunities for many industries, however it poses safety risks to many others.

AustraliaTransport
Eddie Scuderi
Eddie Scuderi
Jodie Burger
Jodie Burger
Viva Paxton
Viva Paxton
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Drone technology provides a number of opportunities for many industries, however it poses risks to many others. Aviation is concerned about the risk of accidents with drones flying too close to aeroplanes. Corrections are concerned about how drones can be used to smuggle illicit substances into prisons. Landowners are concerned about the risk of trespass as operators remain fairly anonymous.

While there is presently fairly little regulation applicable to light-weight non-commercial drones, the safety issues are being considered carefully and may result in new, more prescriptive regulation.

"Say, tomorrow, out of Brisbane Airport, a passenger aircraft with 150 people on board has contact with a drone and there's a full catastrophic event with the loss of all life, and then the following day we have another one—what would your view be?

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