AERIAL BUZZ: Chris Jackson from X-craft was flying his drone over areas of Wanganui after the June floods to create maps for EQC. PHOTO/BEVAN CONLEY
AERIAL BUZZ: Chris Jackson from X-craft was flying his drone over areas of Wanganui after the June floods to create maps for EQC. PHOTO/BEVAN CONLEY
Wanganui District Council has set up some rules around where and when people can fly "drones".
The decision means anyone operating a drone - more officially known as an unmanned aerial vehicle - will need to have a consent form signed off by the council if they intend to flyit over any council park or reserve.
Ceinwyn Bannister, a council policy adviser, told the latest council meeting that the guidelines were intended to give some clarity for people wanting to fly their drone over council land. They would also enable council staff to monitor any impact the guidelines might have on the use and enjoyment of those reserves.
Ms Bannister said drones were no longer used just by commercial operators and were becoming increasingly popular with the public.
Civil Aviation Authority rules already demand that anyone flying a drone over private property must get prior consent of the landowner.
She said the CAA amended its rules in August allowing people to operate their drones without needing consent of the authority, as long as they were operated within the limits of those rules. There are specific fly zones in Wanganui where an operator must get consent to fly their drone and these are within a 4km radius of both the city's airport and the helipad at Whanganui Hospital.
"Drones are not precluded from flying within the 4km zone but under CAA regulations operators need permission from the airport as well as consent from the council. The operator needs to apply to the airport for every flight within the 4km zone and this is considered on a case-by-case basis."
The 4km zones around both the airport and the hospital helipad, includes many of Wanganui's urban parks and reserves.
"In this instance 'private land' includes all land owned, administered or leased by the council. As such if council wishes to allow people to operate their drone above council land it must give its consent for them to do so," she said.
Ms Bannister said there are some parks that did not fall within the zone. "Wembley Park isn't within the zone and we understand it's a popular location for drone operators," she said.
She said people can operate drones within the bounds of their private property as long as they don't encroach on their neighbours' properties. The council decided to review the guidelines in 2017.
