Mavic Mini - flying in Australia and New Zealand

[HumbearKS]

Hi, does anybody know about registration requirements for the MM when flying them as a tourist in New Zealand & Australia? Obviously, the MM doesn't have to be registered here in the US but does that apply to those two countries as well?

 

[ZapRowsdower]

Have been looking into NZ regs and its disconcertingly obtuse. Seems like it's all but impossible to really fly anywhere you might actually want to fly. This is the best guide I've found:

How to legally fly your drone in New Zealand - Sunset Obsession

New Zealand is incredibly beautiful, with lots of gorgeous landscapes all around. However, if you are planning to capture all this beauty from the air using a drone, there is quite a few things you should know. When it comes to drones, New Zealand has some of the most stringent laws and...

sunsetobsession.com

Would love to hear more from folks who've successfully (or unsuccessfully) flown there.

 

[THE WOMBLE]

No registration needed in New Zealand. As far as I know, there have only been 2 court cases involving drones. Don't know where ZapRowsdower got the idea we have some of the most stringent laws from because what I have read, seen on YouTube and on comments in this site makes me glad I fly here.

 

[Thomas B]

a useful link:

Drone Laws in New Zealand | UAV Coach (2023)

Want to learn more about drone laws in New Zealand? Check out our list of links and regulations for people flying drones in New Zealand.

uavcoach.com

 

[ZapRowsdower]

No registration needed in New Zealand. As far as I know, there have only been 2 court cases involving drones. Don't know where ZapRowsdower got the idea we have some of the most stringent laws from because what I have read, seen on YouTube and on comments in this site makes me glad I fly here.

I got it from the link I shared, which says:

"When it comes to drones, New Zealand has some of the most stringent laws and regulations I’ve seen in any country."

Dozens of other sites say the same from what I've found. The basic regulations are quite straightforward, but you need permission to fly the drone over any park land or any land maintained by the DOC. DOC flights require a permit and you'll need one for each district in NZ, at a cost of something like $60 each for the application -- which may be declined.

Click the above link if you don't believe me.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Australia will only require registration and probably pilot test for 250g and over.
Our system doesn't start for recreational flyers until sometime into 2020.

Until that happens, anyone can buy and fly a drone, sticking to CASA rules to fly, and various state agencies like National Parks, and local council bylaws in many metro regions.

Not sure how long countries with (bringing in) the same 250g rule will take to just drop the limit to 200g or whatever.
If DJI and / or other manufacturers keep developing sub 250g drones, they will probably want to get them under their watchful eyes.

As far as National Parks goes, yes NZ authority (DOC - Department of Conservation) is pretty hot on drone activity.
Understandable in many places.
We spend an entire February a couple of years ago walking tracks around Queenstown region, and the 'No Drones' signs are pretty well in all the visitor hotspots.

I think DOC is like some our various named Australian National Parks authorities, although here we have the 7 state / territory agencies, some are totally ok to fly under CASA rules, others have a fairly simple permit system, and a few are just totally no drones, even making commercial licenced pilots jump through many hoops to get a permit, along with a hefty fee.

Enjoy both countries flying your drone(s), there are many places outside controlled airspace and other banned areas to fly and film

 

[basophil]

The situation in Australia is pretty straightforward. The usual rules concerning 120m ceiling, over people, 5 km from airports etc. apply. But otherwise there are no particular restrictions. No registration with CASA is required at time of writing, but that is in the pipeline. There is a useful app called Open Sky which is CASA sanctioned and is free at the App Store.

 

[HumbearKS]

Thanks for the responses, everyone. Looks like it makes most sense in NZ to pro-actively file for the permits with DOC. Australia on the other hand sounds a bit less restricted as long as you adhere to the general rules.

Thanks again...

 

[Herbie D]

Hi, a bit late reply but getting a permit from DOC only applies to DOC land (NZ Government owned public land used for hunting, fishing, tramping etc). Some councils require you to get permission to fly over land they control (reserves, cemeteries etc), places they own on in their jurisdiction. Google drones and the region/city you are in and I guarantee there will be info, including places they’ve set aside to fly.
Ask private property owners if you can fly over their land.
Apart from that, it’s normal rules in regards to airports, military installations, and heights. Even then you may get away with a shielded operation.
I’ve found Australia much more restrictive than New Zealand.
Happy flying.

 

[wco81]

Im looking at the DOC permit application processes. You have to check off places you plan to fly in. I can't even find many of the places they list.

For instance, here are the places in Otago:

https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/about-doc/concessions-and-permits/drones/otago-recommended-locations-recreational-short-term-private-drone-use-form.pdf

Only one I recognize is the road to Glenorchy, which I'd be interested in flying. It costs 75 NZD for the application for each region, so if you apply for Canterbury and Otago, that's 150 NZD.

Anyone know how long it takes for them to process? They reference a meeting but obviously difficult to get a meeting during a relatively short trip and still get the permit in time to fly.

This drone map by their civil air agency doesn't really overlay all these different DOC areas.

New Zealand Airspace Maps for Drone Pilots | AirShare NZ hub for drones and UAVs

Wondering where you can and can't fly your drone in New Zealand? Low Flying Zones UAVs are not permitted to fly in any Low Flying Zones, which are coloured orange. Military Operating Areas Permission from the administering authority is requested to fly in the green zones.

www.airshare.co.nz