TASMANIANS are some of Australia’s best behaved drone flyers.
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Figures from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority show 19 infringements were issued across the country for drone misuse last financial year.
But no Tasmanians were on the list.
Statistics for the last 18 months compiled by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau reveal Victorian drone flyers are the nation’s worst, with seven people issued with infringement notices for their antics overhead.
Western Australia and Queensland are next with five offenders each, followed by New South Wales with four, and the Australian Capital Territory with one.
Tasmania had zero drone flyers issued with infringements during that period.
It comes after federal Infrastructure Minister Darren Chester’s move this week to review drone safety regulations across the country.
The review will be overseen by the CASA and plans to “ensure the aviation safety regulatory system in Australia continues to facilitate a safe flying environment for all airspace users, but also enable growth and innovation in drone-usage as this dynamic industry continues to evolve.”
Earlier this year, CASA announced its own review of unmanned drone licensing regulations, stating that it would relax regulations for lightweight drones under two kilograms.
Previously, only recreational users could fly drones without a licence, but commercial use needed an unmanned operator’s certificate.
Mr Chester said his new review would still require commercial operators to register their drone with CASA and notify the authority of their intended flight area.
“This review follows recent amendments by CASA which were also supported by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs in its report on RPAS operations,” he said this week.
All drones must not be flown higher than 400 feet or within 5.5 kilometres of major airports.