New drones expected to lift council efficiency

TWO new drones will take to the skies after the Whitsunday Regional Council bought them to help with compliance inspections of properties across the region, among many other high-flying activities.

The council has been using a small drone since 2018 for activities including weed mapping and management, erosion mapping and inspection work.

Recently, the council bought two larger drones using $108,000 in Safer Communities funding, which will enable them to expand their scope for taking aerial snapshots.

Council director of corporate services Jason Bradshaw said drones could soon be used in areas such as pool compliance, asset management and disaster response.

However, Mr Bradshaw said strict measures were in place to ensure residents’ privacy would be protected.

There are also several checks and balances in place when operating a drone to ensure it is only flown within an approved area.

Mr Bradshaw said widespread pool compliance audits were unlikely, however if the council deemed them necessary then residents would be issued notice prior to the audit.

The benefits of drone technology listed by Mr Bradshaw included its affordability, increased efficiency and increased accuracy of data.

The council’s use of drones has also been projected to increase the quality, quantity and speed that information is available for decision makers and allow for the monitoring of assets that emit electromagnetic radiation, such as powerlines, without disrupting supply.