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UAV/RPA inquiry update.

To begin there has been an extension to the Inquiry reporting date:

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.. :

Eureka Tower in Melbourne, Australia PHOTO: www.visitmelbourne.com
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[url=http://www.mygc.com.au/man-fined-crashing-drone-melbournes-tallest-building/]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.

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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.

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