In December 2017, Ballarat City Council removed the right for drone operators to fly their aircraft over public spaces in the municipal land.
These changes meant that operators who wanted to fly within 100 metres of council land or road needed to apply for a permit. This rule would not only affect hobbyists but the ban was also set to be extended to private and commercial drone pilots. An argument made by residents was that drone use is already being regulated by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and the council did not to intervene. Commercial drone operator and Ballarat resident Luke Parker said: “The backyard is now the only place you can fly, because pretty much everywhere else is council land.” In response to this, drone enthusiasts in Ballarat have come together to successfully lobby against this new regulation. Earlier this month, the City of Ballarat removed regulation to drone use from the Community Local Law document. Mr Parker praised the move by councillors to remove the restriction saying: “It’s the decision that not only Ballarat should follow, but all councils should follow, we have an aviation authority that oversees it.”
