Drones worth ‘$8 billion’ to New Zealand economy
Drones could soon be ferrying commuters around New Zealand skies and performing more tasks dangerous for humans.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were potentially worth $7.9 billion to the economy, Transport Minister Phil Twyford said as drones went on show in Auckland yesterday.
Managing the industry’s growth and generating export dollars were discussed as Twyford and UAV innovators unveiled the Government’s drone plan. Linda Bulk and Rob Brouwer, from Raglan-based industrial drone designers Aeronavics, said they welcomed the Government’s ‘‘Taking Flight’’ plan, and the current environment needed changes.
Brouwer said it was ‘‘completely outrageous’’ that some cheap consumer imports were not properly regulated, and were marketed as having a 7-kilometre range. ‘‘They should be geofenced to within a couple of hundred metres from the controller.’’
Bulk told Stuff her company and other local innovators were getting some financial support from the Government through research and development grants and working with Callaghan Innovation. But she said public agencies sometimes seemed ‘‘risk averse’’ when it came to homegrown drone innovators.
Trent Fulcher, from Airways subsidiary Airshare, said Kiwis should plan about how to manage ‘‘drones doing more advanced things, like carrying humans’’.
Twyford said New Zealand’s forestry, farming and conservation sectors already used drones and the country could be a world leader in the technology.
Twyford said it would ‘‘take some time’’ to get regulations right and the ministry was currently in talks about potential powers for law enforcement to detain drones.
One drone on display could carry 20 litres and perform jobs such as safely cleaning roofs.
The Taking Flight plan said drones would be likely to carry out expensive and dangerous jobs such as power line inspection and emergency services tasks.
Farmers could use drones to manage stock and crops, and UAVs could improve rural freight delivery, the new plan added.
The Government said the plan aimed to ensure the drone sector thrived, was innovative and was safe.