Putting drone rules on the map
The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA) launched a new Local Drone Rules Map in February 2024.
The map shows 7,610 areas where local or non-safety laws apply for drone use. This provides recreational and commercial drone users with free, open and easy access to information all in one place to support awareness of local drone rules.
The project is recognised in the Australian Government’s Data and Digital Government Strategy, as part of moving towards simple, secure and connected services.
This first release map shows laws in place for parks and correctional facilities across Australia. Future updates are planned to include more local laws and improved functionality for drone users, the community, and software integration.
Areas where local drone rules apply for parks and corrections institutions across Australia.
Image: Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
Working together
The Local Drone Rules Map is a product of the collaborative partnership between the Emerging Aviation Technology Policy and Geospatial Services teams at DITRDCA.
For more than 18 months, the Emerging Aviation Technology Policy team worked diligently to collect and consolidate geospatial drone rules data from 46 responsible authorities across Commonwealth, state and territory agencies.
The Geospatial Services team quickly designed and implemented an interactive map prototype using the data collected by the Emerging Aviation Technologies Policy team.
This prototype was further refined as more stakeholders were engaged, and additional data collected. The 2 teams also came together to develop a sustainable methodology for the future capture and dissemination of drone rules.
Benefits for the community
The Local Drone Map’s open, iterative and digital-first approach is reducing barriers, and driving greater awareness of environmental and security-related laws in the rapidly growing digital drone sector.
Drone rule digitisation helps reduce complexity of drone laws across jurisdictions. It also encourages digital governance that is fit-for-purpose and able to adapt to the rapid growth of the sector.
Before the map’s creation, a drone operator was required to check a wide range of government websites to identify what rules might affect their intended operation.
Improved digitisation and consistency make it easier for digital drone systems to ingest information on laws that impact drone users and help operators plan flights that comply with these laws.
Feedback has shown this reduces practical obstacles drone users face in collating or accessing such information in any given area. One user has written:
Just wanted to say a huge thank you for compiling this information into a single source. I have been training Remote Pilot Aircraft for both an RTO [registered training organisation] and the CASA RePL [Civil Aviation Safety Authority remote pilot licence] for several years and this has always been a very difficult topic to answer and find all the different rules for each area. I am also loving the map!
A key principle behind the project is making drone laws easier to find, access and understand. This in turn supports user compliance and flight planning. It also improves community and environmental outcomes.
Find out more
Australian Government (n.d.) Drone Rule Digitisation, Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts website, accessed 5 September 2024.
Australian Government (n.d.) Journey so far, Data and Digital Government Strategy website, accessed 5 September 2024.