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Last Updated: Tuesday, 09 April 2024 15:10

Operating drones in Council controlled land

The operation of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) including but not limited to drones in Toowoomba Regional Council controlled land is regulated by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), through the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations Part 101.

The full list of CASA rules for flying RPAS for recreation are detailed on the CASA website and can be found here: Drone Safety Rules.

The CASA rules must be followed every time a drone is flown in a Council controlled land.

A summary of these rules is provided below.

You must:

• only fly one drone at a time
• always fly your drone within visual line-of-sight — this means:
  • flying only during the day
  • you can see your drone with your own eyes at all times — not by using binoculars or watching a video screen
  • not flying behind trees, buildings or anything else that stops you seeing your drone at all times.

You must not fly your drone:

• higher than 120m (400ft) above ground level — that's about the height of a 35-storey building or length of a football field
• closer than 30m to people — other than those helping to fly or navigate your drone
• over or above people at any time or height
• in a way that creates a hazard to another person, aircraft or property
• near emergency situations
• in prohibited or restricted airspace. You can easily find out where you're safe to fly by using a CASA-verified drone safety app.
• closer than 5.5km to a controlled aerodrome or airfield (usually those with a control tower), if your drone weighs more than 250 grams.

From November 2020 you may need to register your drone with CASA, and obtain accreditation from CASA to fly your drone. Attaining accreditation consists of a short safety video and online quiz, and you’ll receive a certificate once you pass that you can download and print.      

Council is not responsible for handling drone complaints and all complaints should be directed to CASA. If you are aware of recreational drones flying unsafely and/or causing nuisance, this can be reported to CASA via their webpage: Report Unsafe Drone Operations

 If your drone is being flown for commercial purposes, the Chief Executive Officer needs to approve your request, please contact us on 131 872.