If you plan to fly a drone within the City of South Perth please refer to the FAQs below or visit the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) website or knowyourdrone.gov.au.
Australia's recreational drone safety rules have been in place since 2002 and are designed to protect other people in the air and on the ground.
If you have a complaint surrounding the use of drones in your area or on Council Land, you can report it to CASA.
Frequently Asked Questions for flying a drone
You do not need approval from the City of South Perth to fly a drone within the City however it is preferred that you notify the City's Bookings Office on 9474 0777 during office hours or email
enquiries@southperth.wa.gov.au.
The City of South Perth does not require payment.
The exclusive rights to areas including parks and reserves will not be given for the purpose of flying your drone. The City cannot guarantee that the area you want to fly your drone will be available.
There is currently no minimum age limit to fly a drone for recreational purposes (for fun). You just need to make sure to follow the drone safety rules at all times.
For commercial or business use (any type of payment, hire or reward, or for flying as part of your job), you will need to be 16 years or older to register and obtain operator accreditation to fly. If you are under 16, you’ll need to be supervised by an accredited adult (18 or over).
You must not fly your drone in a way that creates a hazard. This includes flying closer than 30 metres to people and flying over populous areas.
Flying your drone over houses, backyards, or over roads may break these rules. If you believe you’ve seen someone breaking the rules, you can report it to CASA.
If you fly commercially or want to earn money from flying your drone, you’ll need a remote pilot licence (RePL) and a remotely piloted operator’s certificate (ReOC), or work for an organisation that holds a ReOC. Some drone or RPA operators are excluded from needing a RePL or ReOC. The types of excluded categories are: very small drones (weighing more than 250g but no more than 2kg), and small (weighing more than 2kg but no more than 25kg, where you fly over your own land).
A micro RPA (weighing 250g or less) is not an excluded RPA. If you are flying a micro RPA for business, there are specific rules that apply to you. You must get an aviation reference number, an operator accreditation, register your drone, and only fly within the drone safety rules. Learn more on CASA’s website.
You will need to register your drone and get an operator accreditation if you fly a drone for work or business, regardless of its weight. From 28 January 2021, you can be fined if you fly an unregistered drone for business or as part of your job. The fine is up to $11,100.
