Flying in Australian National Parks 🇦🇺

[Squidinc]

Thought I would do the right thing and applied to fly in Hat Head National Park on the mid north coast of New South Wales, Australia. The park has an awesome coastline and lighthouse, screaming out for a few panoramas and helix shots from my MA2. No cigar I’m afraid. My email application was rejected on the grounds that my drone could disturb wildlife and/or park visitors. I also received a telephone call from a ranger in charge of processing drone applications. She was polite and friendly and advised me that all drone applications to fly in that National Park are rejected because they are receiving countless applications! In her words, “the sky would be filled with drones”. Overkill perhaps, but I could see her point. On the spot fines of $300.00 are issued to anyone flying a drone within a National Park without authorisation.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Just as a matter of interest do helicopter tours operate over your National Parks, if so what is their minimum AGL?

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Well that sucks for sure.
I was starting to reconsider the old thoughts on NSW Nat Parks when reading about the individual applications process parks there have.
Maybe that Ranger needs to be educated in just how long a typical drone pilot would actually be in the air taking such footage during a typical flight ?
Take her out and show her how each applications 20-30 min flight would be negligible in the scheme of overall park use ?
How it’s hardly heard from a typical 30-120m altitude ?
(The ocean noise would generally drown out any drone motor noise !)
Offer to meet up and show her what pilots want from the area, and how minuscule the impact on anyone else or wildlife could possibly be.
Looks like states apart from QLD, WA, and the NT are simply still too hard to consider drone use in parks.
What a shame.

 

[sarimento1]

Sir Squidinc, I fully sympathise! Here in USA, all national parks, as well as all national forests, wildlife reserves, national seashores, etc, and most state parklands, don't permit drones to launch, land or be operated from their territory. Sometimes you can get around by launching/controlling from nearby other public space. Example below of nice Florida state park area, where I had to launch from nearby roadside park.

Your NSW park seems to be lovely; don't give up; you might consider a charter boat, albeit boat operation has to be learned!

Good luck!

 

[Squidinc]

Just as a matter of interest do helicopter tours operate over your National Parks, if so what is their minimum AGL?

It depends on the National Park. I’m unaware of any helicopter flights operating over coastline NSW National Parks. Once you venture inland and further into Australia’s outback National Parks they certainly do. Such as Ayres Rock & Kakadu.

 

[Merrill277]

Parks are full of cars, motorcycles, ATVs, people walking around, talking, shooting selfies. All these things we don't notice because they have been around forever and we put up with them. Now a drone, no matter how quiet, seems to be a nuisance. And people complain even if they see one off in the distance. I get not having lots of drones in popular and crowed places like Old Faithful in YNP. But otherwise I think many of the rules are overkill.

 

[mmcphee]

Thought I would do the right thing and applied to fly in Hat Head National Park on the mid north coast of New South Wales, Australia. The park has an awesome coastline and lighthouse, screaming out for a few panoramas and helix shots from my MA2. No cigar I’m afraid. My email application was rejected on the grounds that my drone could disturb wildlife and/or park visitors. I also received a telephone call from a ranger in charge of processing drone applications. She was polite and friendly and advised me that all drone applications to fly in that National Park are rejected because they are receiving countless applications! In her words, “the sky would be filled with drones”. Overkill perhaps, but I could see her point. On the spot fines of $300.00 are issued to anyone flying a drone within a National Park without authorisation.

Although living in W. Australia I have visited Hat Head many times on coastal caravan, surfing trips and concur it’s a perfect area for drone pilots.
My question is where does the seaward boundary of their authority start/finish?
Seems the paranoia of our our hobby or profession amongst the ignorant manifests itself in government authorities who pursue it with great zeal.

 

[Glenh]

I am learning to fly my Mini 2. I fly over sports fields and local parks. Sometimes at about 5m altitude so that I can watch it and get better control. I don't seem to make locals, dogs, kids anxious. In fact they find it entertaining. Sometimes I worry about energetic dogs but their keepers hold them in hand. I have followed walkers on the Spit/Manly walk to improve my skills on tuning/yawing etc. They were not aware. Thanks walkers. Did some flights from my apartment block and have neighbour's kids smiling and waving in the video. Yes the gatekeepers are a dog. Jet skis and leaf blowers I do not like. So, I am a responsible and safe pilot. The regulations should change at some time.

 

[Glenh]

I am learning to fly my Mini 2. I fly over sports fields and local parks. Sometimes at about 5m altitude so that I can watch it and get better control. I don't seem to make locals, dogs, kids anxious. In fact they find it entertaining. Sometimes I worry about energetic dogs but their keepers hold them in hand. I have followed walkers on the Spit/Manly walk to improve my skills on tuning/yawing etc. They were not aware. Thanks walkers. Did some flights from my apartment block and have neighbour's kids smiling and waving in the video. Yes the gatekeepers are a dog. Jet skis and leaf blowers I do not like. So, I am a responsible and safe pilot. The regulations should change at some time.

 

[Geofff]

Bureaucrats, especially in national parks, generally see all visitors as an impost on their goal of environmental protection. They are often not interested in understanding the value that great images have in promotion. It is easier for them to make a blanket ban instead of accepting rules in place by CASA and restricting some areas temporarily or permanently due to nesting etc.
I will say that QLD has a better approach to recreational drones in national parks.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

I will say that QLD has a better approach to recreational drones in national parks.

Love flying up there . . .

Also WA has (edit) UNrestricted drone use (apart from some internal parks areas, busy campgrounds etc), the the NT you can get a simple free permit to fly in their Nat Parks between visit dates.

The rest, forget it . . . and yes, it seems many NSW parks you'd be lucky to get a permit / permission for 'one of' flights, making it too hard to bother in many cases.

 

[Geofff]

I once challenged a council to tell me what was missing in the CASA rules that they would include in their own rules. Their by-laws ended by stating compliance with CASA and ability to restrict certain areas from time to time. Good result.

 

[Michael Ainsworth]

Thought I would do the right thing and applied to fly in Hat Head National Park on the mid north coast of New South Wales, Australia. The park has an awesome coastline and lighthouse, screaming out for a few panoramas and helix shots from my MA2. No cigar I’m afraid. My email application was rejected on the grounds that my drone could disturb wildlife and/or park visitors. I also received a telephone call from a ranger in charge of processing drone applications. She was polite and friendly and advised me that all drone applications to fly in that National Park are rejected because they are receiving countless applications! In her words, “the sky would be filled with drones”. Overkill perhaps, but I could see her point. On the spot fines of $300.00 are issued to anyone flying a drone within a National Park without authorisation.

If you use Open Sky app you can find spots to the west and south of Hat Head NP, on the beach , that you can fly from. You can fly over the NP but not take off or land in it.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

I once challenged a council to tell me what was missing in the CASA rules that they would include in their own rules. Their by-laws ended by stating compliance with CASA and ability to restrict certain areas from time to time. Good result.

Councils are a whole other ball game.
Like Parks, they can restrict ground use from land under their authority.

Most either have nothing in their bylaws (smaller and regional councils) or blanket bans on operating model aircraft, vehicles, I've even seen mentioned KITES with two strings.

It's as annoying as Parks doing this in a blanket form of ban.

I think many councils get their policy on this from the ALGA (Australian Local Government Association), a typical policy from my local council area . . .

https://www.onkaparingacity.com/fil...ylaw_review_bylaw_4_local_government_land.pdf

PART3-USEOFLOCALGOVERNMENTLAND 9. Activities requiring permission NotePursuant to section 238(3) of the Act, if a Council makes a By-law about access to or use of a particular piece of Local Government land (under section 238), the Council should erect a sign in a prominent position on, or in the immediate vicinity of, the land to which the By-law applies. A person must not without the permission of the Council, do any of the following on Local Government land.

Item 9.23 and in bold 9.23.2

Model Aircraft, Boats and Cars Subject to the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (Cth): 9.23.1 fly or operate a model or drone aircraft, boat or model or remote control car in a manner which may cause or be likely to cause injury or discomfort to a person being on or in the vicinity of the land or detract from or be likely to detract from another person's lawful use of and enjoyment of the land; or 9.23.2 fly or operate a model or drone aircraft, boat or model or remote control car on any Local Government land to which the Council has resolved this subclause applies.

I'm not 100% sure the clause 'Subject to the CASA safety regulations 1998' allows flight under that, or if 9.23.2 simply outlaw model aircraft and drones being operated 'from / on' an area under their authority.

But the rare time I want to test something, or simply ensure all systems are good before undertaking a day trip or extended trip interstate, I do go to one of my local parks and fly as needed, always during a weekday, working hours, no one about, never had an issue.

I just searched a few other foreshore councils policies, they are identical.
AND I must say they don't seem to be as blatantly anti drone as they were when I first looked them up about 4 years ago.

 

[Squidinc]

If you use Open Sky app you can find spots to the west and south of Hat Head NP, on the beach , that you can fly from. You can fly over the NP but not take off or land in it.

That’s not entirely incorrect. You cannot fly over a National Park without authorisation.

 

[Michael Ainsworth]

That’s not entirely incorrect. You cannot fly over a National Park without authorisation.

It’s not clear but the only rules I can find, if you look at NP restrictions, it only mentions operating from within the NP ie launching landing and operating physically within the park. Taking off outside the park boundaries and flying at sensible altitude is ok. Just don’t buzz people or wildlife.

 

[Squidinc]

Although living in W. Australia I have visited Hat Head many times on coastal caravan, surfing trips and concur it’s a perfect area for drone pilots.
My question is where does the seaward boundary of their authority start/finish?
Seems the paranoia of our our hobby or profession amongst the ignorant manifests itself in government authorities who pursue it with great zeal.

Hat Head National Park adjoins Arakoon National Park. The seaward boundary (as I understand it) is the beach.

 

[mmcphee]

Hat Head National Park adjoins Arakoon National Park. The seaward boundary (as I understand it) is the beach.

Thanks for your reply and I hope that would be the common sense approach by authorities.
Anybody know the restrictions applying to Fraser Island in QLD?

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Thanks for your reply and I hope that would be the common sense approach by authorities.
Anybody know the restrictions applying to Fraser Island in QLD?

No restrictions at all flying in QLD Nat Parks

 

[4006448]

It depends on the National Park. I’m unaware of any helicopter flights operating over coastline NSW National Parks. Once you venture inland and further into Australia’s outback National Parks they certainly do. Such as Ayres Rock & Kakadu.

You and I are obviously old school - don't see it referred to as Ayers Rock for a LONG time!