Drone Survey Making a Positive Step Towards Better Agricultural Regulations

Cattle mustering is a crucial part of the livestock industry for herding and gathering cattle for various purposes such as vaccinating, sorting and transportation. Traditionally, cattle mustering has been done on horseback or with the use of helicopters, but with the advancements in drone technology, a new opportunity for the industry has been created.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority is now asking manufacturers who use or plan to use drones for mustering and spraying a series of question to help improve the regulatory framework.

CASA has released a survey in which producers are asked a series of questions about the types of activities they do and the types of drones they operate in order to create a picture of how drones could be used in remote and low-risk settings.

Luke Chaplain of SkyKelpie is a Nuffield Scholar who has conducted a series of studies on the use of drones in agricultural settings, particularly in the livestock industry.

He has been advocating for a legislative overhaul to make drones more user-friendly on stations, particularly in low-risk areas with few obstacles.

“Looking at this survey, it does seem like CASA is listening because they are now using words like mustering and spraying,” Mr Chaplain said.

“They are genuinely trying to engage producers and come up with ways of helping the situation. There is also an opportunity for them to gain more compliance with their rules through engaging like this.”

According to the Economic benefit analysis of drones in Australian report from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, and Communications, 10% of agricultural businesses in Australia currently use drones to support operational processes. It is predicted that agricultural drone adoption will skyrocket by 2040.

Mr Chaplain said the country had the chance to lead the field.

“Because of the nature of Australia, with a lot of it being so remote and low risk for drones, it can become a world leader in the development of the technology and regulations,” he said.

Drone pilots wanting to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) need to have a license, a process Mr Chaplain said could become more streamlined.

“For the BVLOS permit you need to get your land approved as well and identify things like windmills and other obstacles,” he said.

“I think that process could become a lot more streamlined and possible even automated.”

Mr Chaplain stated that he would like to see more people participate in initiatives such as the CASA survey in order to better direct future legislation.

“I’m looking to engage with CASA about streamlining these regulations in the next year,” he said.

“But the more people get involved, the better directed that legislation can be.”

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(Source: Beef Central)