Australia Looks to Revise Drone Laws

This comes on the back of a previous ruling by Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). Starting on 29^th September, CASA has relaxed the licensing regulation, removing the requirement for commercial owners of lightweight drones (under 2kg) to hold a licence. It also means that farmers can fly a drone under 25kg over their own property without needing a commercial licence.

The review — which will be overseen by CASA — will look at these changes in respect to safety concerns, as recently the Australian Federation of Air Pilots issued a warning over the potential risk of drone owners operating UAVs at heights of 4,000 feet, posing a threat of collision with aircraft. Given recent incidents, not only in Sydney, but also Dubai and London, of unauthorised drone activity too close to commercial aircraft, it is an understandable concern.

The Federal Government has stated that the new rules will still implement a 5.5km no-fly zone around airports for drones, incurring fines of up to $9,000 for non-compliance. It also pointed out that drone owners will still be required to register with CASA and notify the agency of where they intend to operate their drones.