DRONE HEARING:
Senate Inquiry into drone technology rolls into our new drone capital, Dalby.
DALBY is fast becoming our drone capital – a title it went further towards claiming when a Senate inquiry into the use of unmanned aerial vehicles rolled into town.
Western Downs Regional Council Deputy Mayor Andrew Smith couldn’t have been prouder to open the Senate’s Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee Inquiry into Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or drone technology.
The session was held last week at the Dalby Model Aero Club.
Senator Glenn Sterle chaired the hearing, which heard submissions from 11 corporations and organisations that use drone technology for agricultural, commercial and emergency management purposes.
Cr Smith pointed out the region’s strong history with drone technology, thanks to it being home to the world’s largest drone development program and after hosting the Dalby Drone Forum last year.
Insitu Pacific, west of Wandoan, has worked hard to develop world-leading drone technology aimed at reducing the impact of coal seam gas mining on farmers and their properties by monitoring from the air rather than with regular in-person visits.
The session started with drone demonstrations in the morning and the official inquiry in the afternoon.
In addition to agricultural and mining uses for drone
technology, the demonstrations covered myriad uses for the technology, including keeping an eye on the region’s roads and assisting with disaster management.
Cr Smith said given the area covered by Western Downs Regional Council, a land area roughly the size of Switzerland, the council was a big supporter of finding all the benefits in using the relatively new technology.
But as with many new
technologies, regulations tended to take a while to catch up and that was the ultimate purpose of the hearing.
“A lot of people have probably been using drones for a while but the reality is they’re still fairly new technology, so it was about what governments have to do in terms of policy and legislation,” he said.
“The reality is there are concerns around the use of drones, but as I said to
someone on the day, the problems can be overcome.
“It’s wonderful technology and I’m sure the agricultural and mining communities will be able to take advantage.”
He said Dalby was selected almost entirely on the strength of last year’s drone forum and the region had several factors going in its favour to be considered a drone capital.
The first was open spaces and the second was open air space.
“I think it was a fantastic day – certainly from my perspective, really being an onlooker,” he said.
“There seemed to be a lot of excitement amongst the drone enthusiasts and the companies, and I understand the committee stayed well into the afternoon and evening after the hearing.”
He congratulated Dalby Model Aero Club on the facilities and organisation, which enabled the important hearing to come to Dalby.