Despite there being an estimated three million drones in Australia in 2024, there were very few complaints. But as ABC business reporter Daniel Ziffer investigates, that may be because the complaints process is too difficult to navigate.
Documents obtained by the ABC through the freedom of information process show the Department of Infrastructure logged nine complaints about noise from different trial sites, taking the total to 98 since 2020.
Some of the drone complaints not only mention noise, but also someone feeling "spied on" in the bath as drones flew overhead 28 times in three hours.
One of Australia’s foremost experts in the field, UWA’s Dr Julia Powles says the number of complaints about drone noise does not indicate community tolerance of the devices.
Dr Powles says the number of complaints was being used as "a proxy of community tolerance" for drones but she described it as a "poor metric", saying there’s a real disservice to the public in allowing the number of complaints — which really are the most agitated individuals — to be the benchmark of what community acceptance would be.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) runs safety rules for recreational drone operators. But it does not or cannot do anything about noise or privacy. The Office for the Australian Information Commissioner has advice for people concerned about drones, but no remedies. The privacy act does not cover camera or drone users who operate in a "private capacity"
Some state and territory governments have individual laws that impact drones, including those relating to privacy, trespass, harassment, intimidation, nuisance and endangering safety. Others do not. Drone delivery trials have been held in the ACT, Victoria and Queensland.
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