WE have all used Google Earth to get an idea of the lay of the land or have a stickybeak.
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It can be argued that this is an innocent undertaking and it is a handy tool.
However, the use of drones to “case out” rural properties, check if someone is home, or scrutinise whether or not there is machinery and equipment that can easily be stolen is something different.
This is intrusive.
Drones have their place. The photography is amazing and quite frankly the technology can be fun.
But flying onto private property and causing alarm and fear among landholders is something that needs to be stopped.
However, when it comes to airspace the solution isn’t always that easy.
Is it a police issue? Or is this something for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to deal with?
This technology is in its infancy so what is right and what is wrong?
The matter has been before NSW Parliament and there is a report titled Regulatory requirements that impact on the safe use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, Unmanned Aerial Systems and associated systems.
But information contained in such reports comes as cold comfort to the landholders who are seeing drones on their properties almost daily.
In Junee, Mimosa and some of the areas around Marrar there has been several incidences of drone activity. There was a drone spotted at The Rock too.
Local landholders have taken to using email and social media to keep each other aware of the potential threats. The Junee Shire Farm Watch Facebook page has more than 600 likes and the issue of drone activity has openly been discussed on this platform.
Several landholders also spoke to The Rural this week and many asked for anonymity for fear they may be targeted. They believe the drones can be linked to rural crime.
Rural crime has been the occupation of opportunists for years. Often rises in stock and equipment theft correspond with high commodity prices. At the moment commodity prices are high. However, to say those on the land are doing well would not be false given the fact we are in one of the worst drought periods on record.
Police are urging landholders to film or photograph drones if they are spotted.
And community groups continue to work together and communicate in a bid to curb the intrusions.
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