Drones in National Parks

annoying the hell out of you on your next tramp.. they rank up there with the whine of a mosquito

Carry a slingshot. I have taken 2 down with a slingshot. Especially when done with a little stealth and owners can't figure out what happened.

where did you come across drones Frank? its no good DOC telling people not to fly drones if they have to have teeth to the rules.. they should be able to confiscate the drone on the spot when caught and impose a fine. there was a video on youtube where a drone flyer near otaki forks had his drone shot out of the sky, there was some debate whether it was a setup

@waynowski I have come across them in numerous places. Over our house was one, it was one I took out with the slingshot, on the local beaches, Roxburgh Gorge Trail, Otago Rail Trail, Crosbie's Settlement, Tongariro Crossing, Roys Peak. More and more are carrying the fold up models in their packs along with solar chargers to keep them in the air. As time goes by they will become an even greater nuisance.

How can they realistically be enforced by officials? Unless NZ goes the way of requiring operators and/or drones to be registered, which might happen some day but possibly only for some kinds of drones, it seems a very similar problem to trying to enforce something like hut fee payment.

Enforcement (requesting permits, telling unpermitted people to cease&desist) is happening. But like hut tickets it's all down to the (low) chance of a ranger being present.

Concessions are only required for commercial activities on Public Conservation Land (PCL) - thats also stated on that linked page. When I worked at DOC the drone issue came up with the new round of Conservation Management Strategies. I cant quite remember the final position that was taken however there was lot of flapping being done by DOC on how to deal with them. Ultimately - DOC doesnt control the airspace - even over PCL. DOC can regulate things like heli landings on PCL only in relation to the part of the activity that occurs on the land, not in the air. DOC is happy to hand over responsibility of that area to CAA - who does control that area - however as you can imagine - enforcement will be non-existent and Im pretty sure CAA will be focusing on things like drone use near airports. However Part 101 of the CAA rules states that you need to have consent from the property owner to fly over an area. It took a while - but CAA have issued civil aviation rules to address drone use: https://www.caa.govt.nz/rpas/ Any breach of the Rules Im sure can be referred to CAA - however what constitutes a nuisance that DOC recognises (ie: interference with natural quiet in PCL) is highly unlikely to be recognised as a breach of the CAA Rules by CAA. However I havent looked into this enuf to be sure. It looks as if (however) DOC have "banned" drone in some national parks - which is great. How they can do this under legislation (based on the above) I would be interested to know - although it may come under imposing conditions (including safety related) of access to the NP. It may be possible under the National Parks Act, rather than the Reserves or Conservation Acts (I havent looked at these for some time now). This article also states that "DOC is looking to implement a policy on drone use," which is a step in the right direction I think. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/75560599/drones-banned-from-great-walks-in-fiordland-national-park In the meantime - the slingshot sounds like the best practical approach us trampers can take!

Not sure where you got the "commercial only" bit from wrt aircraft @sidog. A permit is required for all aircraft landing on doc managed land. Just as a permit is required for recreational hunting, recreational 4wd access in certain areas, etc. And caa state that you need permission off the landowner to fly anything at below 500ft (or 1000ft in urban areas)

Hi Madpom - Permits are required for aircraft landings as all authorized aircraft operators landing in PCL are commercial by nature. Its either those aircraft or aircraft operated by DOC for DOC management purposes which will land on PCL. Refer to section 17O(4) Conservation Act - Part 4A concessions provisions apply to all PCL (Conservation land, Reserves and National Parks) there is a presumption that "every activity requires a concession" at section 17O(2) EXCEPT where that activity is undertaken by a person/group undertaking a recreational activity without specific gain or reward" - those people do not require a concession. Unless the drones are being used commercially, for (ie) commercial photography/filming, then a concession isnt required - IMO this will be the case in most cases. DOC also have internal guidance they follow on when an activity may/may not be for "commercial gain or reward" however as above, I think i most cases, idiots flying drones that they have walked into PCL, clearly fall under this category. Permits are issued for recreational hunting yes, but they are not concessions. These are part issued under the Wild Animal Control Act 1977 and they create a contract between DOC and the hunter to abide by tailored rules, including abiding by the Arms Code. DOC administers many permissions, but under a plethora of legislation - much of it outdated and no longer fit for purpose - drones are a classic example of this - where different agencies administer different aspects of an issue.

@sidog, I accept that, unlike myself, you have read the legislation and come up with your own interpretation of what it implies. I am merely pointing out that your view is a dissenting one, and not in line with DOC's interpretation of the relevant legislation. The official DOC policy is clearly stated and is that: "Aircraft activities on or over public conservation lands and waters must have a concession or authorisation from DOC. This includes both commercial operations and private recreational activities. Aircraft are defined under the Civil Aviation Authority rules (external site) and include unmanned aircraft (also known as UAVs/UAS/RPAS/drones)." http://www.doc.govt.nz/get-involved/apply-for-permits/business-or-activity/aircraft-activities/ And no. Not all manned aircraft lamdings in PCL are commercial or for management. Private recreational pilots fly into PCL too and require a permit to do so. There's a thread on fishnhunt somewhere discussing how to get doc permit to fly your own private aircraft in.