(03-13-2017, 07:34 PM)Peetwo Wrote: UAV/RPA inquiry update.
To begin there has been an extension to the Inquiry reporting date:
Quote:On 13 October 2016, the Senate moved that the following matters be referred to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee for inquiry and report by 27 April 2017. On 16 February 2017, the Senate granted an extension of time for reporting until 6 December 2017.There has also been some recent additions to the Submissions.
Next the committee will be sitting this week in Dalby QLD: Public Hearings
Finally from around the traps there has been some media reports of interest..:
Quote:Man fined for crashing drone into Australia’s second tallest building
March 11, 2017 4:58 pm/ by Jaydan Duck
A MAN who crashed his drone into the top of Australia’s second tallest skyscraper has been fined.
The man reportedly lost sight of the drone while flying it over the Melbourne suburb of Southbank back in January.
Moments later, the miniature aircraft slammed into the top of the 297.3-metre tall Eureka Tower.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority have since fined the man $1080 for operating the drone at an unsafe height over a densely populated area.
The Eureka Tower is the second tallest building in Australia – the tallest in Melbourne.
It’s dwarfed only by the Q1 skyscraper on Queensland’s Gold Coast, which currently stands as Australia’s tallest.
It was once the tallest residential tower in the world, a title it was forced to hand over to Dubai’s 337-metre tall Marina Torch tower when it was completed in 2011.
Quote:Senate extends regulations inquiry
12:00amCHRIS BOUNDY
Many drones are delivering post-Christmas headaches for users who are unfamiliar with aviation laws.
The Senate inquiry on drone laws is being expanded.
The committee was due to deliver its recommendations next month, but that reporting date has been extended until December.
In the meantime, however, many drones are delivering post-Christmas headaches for users who are unfamiliar with aviation laws and who risk incurring large fines.
Ignorance can cause serious legal problems, so it is vital users get up to speed on the new laws before their drones lift off.
The message is simple: learn what laws apply before learning to fly.
While most people are familiar with road rules, there is often a lack of knowledge about drone rules — and a failure to realise that size matters.
Everyone knows you cannot drive an 18-wheel semi-trailer if you’re licensed only to ride a motorbike, but many drone users fail to understand that different laws apply depending on the weight of their drone.
Our lawyers are responding to rising numbers of public inquiries about laws introduced in late September governing the operation of drones in Australian skies.
We are also receiving inquiries from people who do not have drones but are concerned about privacy, safety and other issues relating to drones being flown near their homes and public spaces.
In response to escalating public demand, we have created an easy guide to drone laws, which highlights the rules that have been expertly summarised and communicated by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
We are mirroring the CASA information to broaden public understanding of the legal obligations of drone users
The law stipulates where and when drones can be flown, how they can be operated, and what licences and permissions are needed for particular types of flying. Different rules apply to different drones and different situations. Laws vary according to factors such as the weight of the drone, and whether it’s being used for recreational or commercial purposes.
Generally speaking, the laws introduced late last year reduce the legal requirements relating to what is regarded as lower-risk drone flying. If you’re flying a drone for recreational purposes and it weighs less than 2kg, there are fewer restrictions but there are still some significant legal requirements users must be aware of.
• The drone must be at least 30m from people, buildings and vehicles. It must not be flown over populous areas where there are significant numbers of people (for example, beaches, parks and sporting fields that are in use).
• In the controlled airspace that covers most cities in Australia, you are not permitted to fly a drone more than 120m above ground level. In addition, you must observe rules about flying near airfields and airports.
• You must not fly drones over situations such as bushfires, floods or vehicle accidents.
A licence is not required for a drone weighing less than 2kg if it’s being flown for recreational purposes. If flying a drone for payment, certain rules and licensing requirements apply. There are also particular regulations if you are using a drone for business purposes on your own property.
The use of drones can raise legal questions about matters such as privacy, surveillance devices, indecent filming, trespass and neighbourhood noise.
We are receiving inquiries from people who are concerned that laws are being broken as a result of drones being flown inappropriately near them or their property. In that situation, we can clarify what the law says and how an individual can make a formal complaint if they wish to.
Chris Boundy is the manager of access services at the Legal Services Commission of South Australia.
Update: 14/03/17
By Robyn Ironside, via the Courier Mail:
Quote:Different drone laws trigger confusion and calls for uniformity
Robyn Ironside, National Aviation Writer, News Corp Australia Network
March 14, 2017 12:00am
INCONSISTENT drone laws have created a confusing situation for recreational users — who could find themselves facing fines in one state and operating legally in another.
Although Civil Aviation Safety Authority regulations apply Australia-wide, there are still state-by-state differences pertaining to national parks and even council land.
In the case of Cameron Corner National Park, recreational users would be free to operate in the part of the park in Queensland, need permission from the park ranger for the part of the park that lies within New South Wales and face a $75 fine for operating in the national park area that is within South Australia.
Victoria takes a hard line on recreational drone users filming in places like Grampians National Park. Picture: News Corp Australia
In Alpine National Park, recreational users would need to get a licence and apply for a permit from the Victorian Government to operate a drone but in the park land that lies within NSW speaking to a ranger would be sufficient.
Western Australia authorities require users to seek written permission to operate a drone in a national park, even for recreational purposes, and Tasmania has banned recreational drones in national parks but is currently considering making some areas available to operators.
The wild variations in the law have prompted calls for Australian states and territories to adopt the same blanket ban on recreational drones in National Parks as the United States.
Victoria National Parks Association’s protection manager Phil Ingamells said it would be helpful for everyone to be on the same page so drone users know exactly where they stood.
“They’re an absolute nuisance,” Mr Ingamells said of drones.
“They have the same effect on birds and animals as an eagle — drones are like a predator in the sky.”
He said they were also difficult to police in national parks.
“It’s another burden on park rangers,” said Mr Ingamells.
media_cameraIt’s easy to see why National Parks like the Blue Mountains are a magnet for drone operators. Picture: Hamilton Lund
Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesman Peter Gibson said although their own regulations for drone use applied across the country, it was up to individual states to decide how they could be operated on state-owned land.
“A uniform approach would require all state environment ministers sitting down and agreeing to pass complementary legislation,” said Mr Gibson.
“Our jobs is protecting people, property and other aircraft and anything other than that such as privacy is out of our jurisdiction.”
Maurice Blackburn aviation lawyer, Joseph Wheeler said a unified approach between states would help in the understanding of drone regulation.
“People want to use them all over the place,” said Mr Wheeler.
“Defining areas where it’s safe and not safe (to use drones) could be used as a vital tool to teach people about aviation safety.”
He said the current Senate Inquiry into drone use and regulation needed to clarify the issue.
“There’s a lot of confusion in this country and that’s been compounded by a lot of very small drone operations,” Mr Wheeler said.
“The rules need to be significantly simplified and a new education campaign made to inform both recreational and commercial users.”
Aerial shot of Granite Bay in the Noosa National Park. Picture: Tourism Events Queensland
MTF...P2
