Drone Laws in Australia

What Are The Laws Regarding Drones / UAVs / Quadcopters in Australia?

I assume most of you reading this page are planning to travel to Australia and want to know what are the rules, and laws for flying a drone in Australia. So, if you are flying for fun, you don’t need to register your drone as of writing this page (Jan 2020). However, there is talk of having drones weighing more than 250 grams registered in the future. By when? There’s no date announced.

And that’s how you get a boat into the sea

For now, here are the rules that you need to adhere to while flying your drone in Australia for fun.

Drone laws in Australia

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) lays down the rules for flying drones for recreation in Australia.

1. Do not fly your drone higher than 120 metres (400 feet) above ground level.
2. Keep your drone at least 30 metres away from other people.
3. You can only fly one drone at a time.
4. Keep your drone within visual line-of-sight. This means always being able to see the drone with your own eyes (rather than through a device, screen or goggles).
5. Do not fly over or above people or in a populous area. This could include beaches, parks, events, or sports ovals where there is a game in progress.
6. Respect personal privacy. Don’t record or photograph people without their consent — this may breach other laws.
7. If your drone weighs more than 100 grams, you must fly at least 5.5 kilometres away from a controlled airport, which generally has a control tower at them.
8. Remember, you must not operate your drone in a way that creates a hazard to another aircraft, person or property.
9. You must only fly during the day and you must not fly through clouds or fog.
10. You must not fly your drone over or near an area affecting public safety or where emergency operations are underway. This could include situations such as a car crash, police operations, a fire or firefighting efforts or search and rescue.
11. If you’re near a helicopter landing site or a smaller aerodrome without a control tower, you can fly your drone within 5.5 kilometres. If you become aware of manned aircraft nearby, you will have to manoeuvre away and land your drone as quickly and safely as possible.

Fortunately, there is a companion app and website that lets you know if you can or cannot fly in a particular location. It’s called “OpenSky” and it’s available on both Android and iOS.

If the app isn’t available for download in your country, you can use the web-based version of OpenSky.

Flying a Drone in Australia and Tasmania

Aerial panorama of Hobart, Tasmania

Notes from my personal experience

I personally felt that Australia is pretty strict about drones. And for a good reason. Other than the fact that most cities are no-drone zones, so are all the national parks and major attractions to preserve and protect wildlife.

Of course, there are plenty of secluded and beautiful spots to fly your drone in Australia and Tasmania. You just need to find them as you drive around the countryside.

We’ve been to Australia a couple of times and during our trip to Sydney and Port Stephens, I was unable to fly my drone at all. Almost the entire coastline along NSW was a no-drone zone as it is quite populous, and has numerous airports along the way (including a military airport).

White sand and transparent waters of Cape Bridgewater, Australia

My Advice & Tips For Flying Your Drone in Australia

My advice is to always refer to the OpenSky app. That’s your best companion when it comes to flying your drone safely in Australia. But, I’d ask you to go a step further.

1. Check that you’re in compliance with the general aviation safety guidelines listed above.
2. Use the “OpenSky” app to check if you’re in a green zone that is safe to fly in.
3. If you’re in a reserve or national park, always
   1. Google the name of the national park/reserve, along with drone laws. So, for example, if you’re in a national park in Tasmania, type “tasmania national park drone” into Google, and check if there are any additional local rules and regulations.
   2. If you’re at a popular natural tourist attraction, look for the signboard with all the rules. There might just be a no-drone sign.

Drone laws in Australia can be a bit strict, but there’s a good reason behind them. Given how abundant wildlife is in the country, the rules are there to protect birds and animals as much as they are there to protect humans and privacy.

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