20 May 2016

New rules proposed on large drones flying over Chch parks

2:26 pm on 20 May 2016

People wanting to fly large drones over council-owned parks and reserves in Christchurch may soon have to seek permission.

Councils around the country have been introducing policies on drones after the introduction of tighter Civil Aviation Authority rules.

However, Christchurch's proposed policy only requires those flying drones weighing more than 1.5kg to seek permission because the lighter aircraft are deemed less of a safety risk.

The policy would only affect a small number of users with the city council noting that three quarters of drones sold in New Zealand weigh less than 1.5kg.

There will be a final vote on the policy in June.