Thursday, 19 May 2016

Council to consider drones policy

Christchurch City Council will consider a draft policy governing the flying of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) or "drones" over its properties.

The policy, which was endorsed today by the Council's Strategy and Finance Committee, would require any person wishing to fly a drone weighing more than 1.5 kilograms to seek consent before flying over a Council park or reserve.

Drones weighing 1.5 kilograms or less are deemed less of a safety risk under the policy and would be able to fly without Council consent. However, a number of "permission required" areas would need consent regardless of a drone's weight, including over cemeteries, open-air public pools, playgrounds and some areas with sensitive wildlife.

Last year the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) introduced rules requiring drone flyers to obtain landowners' consent before flying over properties, including those owned by local councils.

Councillor Raf Manji, Chair of the Strategy and Finance Committee, says the Council wants people to enjoy flying their drones in a safe and responsible way, in accordance with CAA rules.

"The popularity and availability of drones has exploded in recent years and a policy is now needed to guide the Council's approval process for recreational and commercial drones flying over its properties.

"It's important to point out that the Council neither makes nor enforces the rules around drones – the Civil Aviation Authority does. But the Council can choose who it grants permission to.

"The draft policy is a balanced one, in that it allows for hobbyists and commercial operators to fly drones in Council parks and reserves, while still managing public concerns around safety, privacy and noise," says Councillor Manji.

Following feedback from drone users, the draft policy's weight limit was increased from 1 kilogram to 1.5 kilograms, supporting evidence from retailers that around 70 per cent of drones sold to the general public weigh less than 1.5 kilograms.

The Council currently receives an average of 47 requests per month to fly drones over its properties, which are assessed by staff on a case-by-case basis. Most requests come from hobbyists, but a growing number are from commercial operators using drones for photography, filming and mapping purposes.

Applicants to the Council must acknowledge they will adhere to specific CAA rules, depending on the size and use of the drone. Drones weighing between 15 and 25 kilograms must also be approved by Model Flying New Zealand.

The Council's new policy would mean that requests to fly drones over Council roads, cycleways, buildings and events would first be referred to the CAA to qualify under its comprehensive certification process. The Council would directly handle those requests related to its parks, reserves and blanket permission-required areas.

Other local councils, including Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Timaru, Waimakiriri and Selwyn, have adopted similar policies.

The Council is expected to consider the draft policy in June.

Further information about Civil Aviation rules and safe drone flying is available online: caa.govt.nz/rpas

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