Last reviewed: August 2026. Drone regulations, permit systems and local park restrictions can change. Always check the official park page, current park alerts and a CASA-verified drone safety app before flying.
Can you fly drones in Australian parks and reserves?
There is no single answer that applies to every national park or reserve in Australia. The rules depend on where you are, who manages the land, the purpose of the flight and, in some cases, the size of the drone.
Drones can capture remarkable views of walking trails, coastlines, mountains and remote landscapes. They can also disturb wildlife, intrude on the experience of other visitors, interfere with emergency operations and create safety risks around aircraft, lookouts, campsites and busy walking tracks.
For hikers, the most important point is that being allowed to fly under Australia’s aviation rules does not automatically give you permission to operate from a national park, reserve or forest. You need to satisfy both the aviation rules and the rules of the land manager. That distinction catches a lot of people out. Being legally allowed to fly under CASA’s rules doesn’t mean a national park has to let you launch from inside it, and mixing those two things up is an easy way to end up in trouble without meaning to.
The two layers of drone regulation
Drone use in parks generally involves two separate layers of regulation.
- CASA regulates aviation safety. Its rules cover matters such as maximum height, proximity to people, airports, visual line of sight, emergency operations and commercial drone use.
- The land manager regulates activities within the park, reserve or forest. This may include launching, landing, controlling or possessing a drone, commercial filming, disturbing wildlife, entering restricted areas and interfering with other visitors.
Other laws may also apply, including wildlife protection laws, marine mammal approach distances, privacy laws, cultural heritage restrictions, local government rules and temporary emergency restrictions.
A drone safety app can tell you about controlled airspace and aviation hazards, but it may not show every national park rule, wildlife restriction or land-manager permit requirement.
CASA rules applying throughout Australia
Australia’s recreational drone rules apply regardless of whether you are flying in a park, on private land, near the coast or in another public place. Recreational operators must follow the current CASA requirements, including the following:
- Do not fly higher than 120 metres above ground level.
- Keep the drone at least 30 metres away from other people and never fly directly over another person.
- Do not fly over populous areas, including busy beaches, parks, events or sporting grounds.
- Fly only during daylight hours and do not fly through cloud, fog, smoke or conditions that prevent you seeing the drone.
- Keep the drone within visual line of sight using your own eyes, rather than relying only on a screen, camera or goggles.
- Operate only one drone at a time.
- Do not create a hazard to another aircraft, person or property.
- Do not fly over or near emergency operations, including bushfires, police incidents, search and rescue activities or firefighting operations.
- Check airport, aerodrome and helicopter landing site restrictions before taking off.
- Use a CASA-verified drone safety app to check the airspace around your proposed location.
If your drone weighs more than 250 grams, you must not fly within 5.5 kilometres of a controlled airport. Smaller drones weighing 250 grams or less may be flown at limited heights in some areas near controlled airports, but they must remain outside the airport boundary, clear of approach and departure paths and must not create a hazard to aircraft.
Near an uncontrolled aerodrome or helicopter landing site, you must move away and land safely if you become aware of a crewed aircraft operating nearby.
Are you flying recreationally or commercially?
A person flying purely for fun generally does not need to register a recreational drone or obtain operator accreditation, provided the drone weighs no more than 25 kilograms and the flight remains within the standard recreational rules.
Different requirements apply when the drone is used for work, business, paid photography, promotion, sponsorship or another commercial purpose. Business operators generally need to register the drone and obtain the appropriate CASA accreditation, licence or operating authority. The exact requirements depend on the weight of the drone and the type of operation.
Commercial does not necessarily mean a large film crew. A solo creator filming sponsored content, promoting a business, providing footage to a brand or operating a monetised media channel may be undertaking a commercial activity. Land managers can also adopt a broader definition of commercial filming than CASA and may require a permit even when a small drone can otherwise be flown under CASA’s excluded category rules.
When there is any possibility that footage will be used commercially, contact the relevant park agency before the trip rather than assuming the flight is recreational. My own rule of thumb is simple: if there’s any chance footage ends up online with my name or a brand attached to it, I treat the flight as commercial and check with the park first, rather than trying to argue my way into the recreational category afterwards.
Drone rules in parks by state and territory
| Jurisdiction | General position |
|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | Drones are prohibited in reserves covered by the Nature Conservation Act unless specifically approved. |
| New South Wales | Approval is required to launch, land or operate a drone on land managed by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. |
| Northern Territory | Rules vary between parks. Some allow recreational drones, some require a permit and some prohibit them. |
| Queensland | Recreational flying may be possible in some areas, but drones are prohibited in QPWS camping areas and local restrictions apply. |
| South Australia | A permit is required to fly over specified protected areas. Permits are generally considered only for research and commercial filming. |
| Tasmania | Park visitors are not permitted to operate drones on or over reserved land. Limited authorised exceptions may apply. |
| Victoria | Recreational drones are not permitted on Parks Victoria-managed land. Limited recreational use is allowed in State forests under specified conditions. |
| Western Australia | Recreational use is generally allowed without prior DBCA approval, but individual parks, sites and visitor areas may impose restrictions. |
| Commonwealth-managed parks | Rules are set by Parks Australia and individual park management arrangements. Major parks such as Kakadu and Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa prohibit unauthorised recreational drone use. |
Australian Capital Territory
The flight and operation of drones is prohibited in all ACT reserves covered by the Nature Conservation Act 2014. This includes areas within Canberra Nature Park and Namadgi National Park.
Approval may be granted for limited purposes, such as conservation research, through a nature conservation licence. An approved operator must also comply with CASA requirements and any conditions attached to the licence.
For an ordinary recreational visit or hike in an ACT nature reserve, the practical answer is to leave the drone at home.
New South Wales
You need approval to launch, land or operate a drone in a national park or reserve managed by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. Some parks do not allow recreational drone use at all because of wildlife, visitor safety, privacy, cultural values or the number of people using the area.
Recreational operators must apply to the relevant NPWS area office at least 10 days before the proposed flight. You may fly only after receiving approval, and you should carry an electronic or printed copy of that approval while operating.
Commercial filming, travel content and lifestyle photography are covered by separate NPWS filming and photography requirements. Approval to undertake general filming does not necessarily guarantee approval to use a drone.
Always check the page for the individual park. Popular locations, whale-watching areas, sensitive wildlife habitat and parks close to airports may carry additional restrictions.
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory uses a park-specific system. Some parks allow recreational drones without a permit, some require an operation of aircraft permit and others prohibit drone use or restrict it to particular locations and times.
For example, a permit may contain conditions designed to protect cultural sites, busy visitor areas, helipads or wildlife. Restrictions in parks such as Litchfield, Watarrka and Tjoritja may apply to particular falls, gorges, walking areas and aviation zones.
A trade and commerce permit is required when a drone is used for a commercial purpose, including filming intended to sell or promote a product or business.
Do not rely on a general statement that drones are allowed in the Northern Territory. Check the official schedule and the page for the individual park before packing the drone.
Queensland
Queensland does not impose a universal ban across every national park and State forest, but there are several important limitations.
Drones are prohibited in all Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service camping areas within protected areas, recreation areas and forests. If you have a drone with you at a campsite, it must remain securely stored in a container in your vehicle or vessel.
Additional drone restriction areas may be declared within individual parks. Restrictions can also be imposed around culturally sensitive places, busy visitor destinations, wildlife habitat and areas used by helicopters or other aircraft. Signs and regulatory notices must be followed.
A Queensland Government permit may be required when a drone is being used for commercial or promotional filming, scientific research or an operation involving a drone weighing more than two kilograms.
Even where recreational flying is not expressly prohibited, many lookouts, walking tracks, day-use areas, beaches and car parks are too busy to fly without breaching CASA’s rules concerning people and populous areas.
South Australia
It is an offence to fly a drone over South Australian national parks, conservation parks, game reserves, recreation parks, regional reserves and restricted access zones within marine parks without a permit.
Permits are generally considered only for scientific research and commercial filming or photography. This means ordinary recreational drone use is effectively prohibited across the protected-area categories covered by the rules.
Separate restrictions apply around whales and other marine mammals. Special aviation procedures and Fly Neighbourly Advice also apply around several environmentally sensitive locations, including Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park and Wilpena Pound.
Tasmania
Park visitors are not permitted to operate drones on or over Tasmania’s reserved land, including national parks. The restriction exists because of the potential disturbance to wildlife, impacts on other visitors, privacy concerns and the risk of interference with helicopters, firefighting and park management operations.
Limited exceptions may be considered for authorised commercial or event filming and scientific research associated with a research organisation. Drone operators must hold the required CASA certification and licensing before Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service will assess an application.
A general filming or photography licence does not automatically authorise drone use. Drone approval must be considered separately, and approval is not guaranteed.
Victoria
Recreational drones are not permitted on land managed by Parks Victoria, including national parks, State parks and reserves. Visitors who fly from Parks Victoria-managed land may be fined.
Drone filming and photography on Parks Victoria-managed land requires a permit. Parks Victoria requires an appropriately licensed pilot and CASA-certified operator, including for drones weighing less than two kilograms. Applicants must also provide the supporting documents, insurance and flight information required by the permit process.
Different rules apply in Victorian State forests managed by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. Recreational drones may be flown in a State forest when the operator is outside a visitor area, does not disturb wildlife and complies with CASA rules.
A visitor area generally includes locations around facilities such as car parks, picnic tables, toilets, fire pits and information shelters. Forest parks, forest reserves, closed areas, fire operations and individual sites may have additional restrictions, so the relevant land manager should be contacted when there is any uncertainty.
Western Australia
Western Australia’s visitor guidance generally allows recreational drone use in parks without prior approval from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. This does not mean drones may be flown anywhere.
Operators must comply with CASA rules, avoid disturbing wildlife, respect Aboriginal cultural heritage and check for restrictions applying to the individual park or visitor site. Drones should not be used around emergency operations, aircraft activity, crowds, busy campgrounds or places where the required separation from other people cannot be maintained.
Some parks and attractions are declared drone-free or have specific exclusion zones. Purnululu National Park, for example, prohibits unauthorised drone use, while restrictions also apply around locations with regular helicopter and seaplane activity.
Commercial filming and photography on DBCA-managed land requires the appropriate commercial filming licence or lawful authority. Anyone creating paid, sponsored or promotional content should confirm the licensing requirements before filming.
Commonwealth-managed national parks
Parks Australia manages several Commonwealth national parks, including Kakadu, Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa, Booderee, Christmas Island, Pulu Keeling and Norfolk Island national parks. These parks operate under Commonwealth legislation and their own management arrangements, so the surrounding state or territory rule should not be assumed to apply.
Unauthorised recreational drone use is prohibited in Kakadu and Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa national parks. Commercial film crews, photographers and creators carrying out commercial work in Parks Australia’s national parks generally need an appropriate permit.
Some Commonwealth parks contain culturally sensitive places, sacred sites, wildlife breeding areas and strict photography restrictions. Check the individual park’s visitor and media guidance before filming, even when you do not intend to use a drone.
Tasmania’s new rules for influencers and content creators
Tasmania now has specific licensing requirements for people who capture photographs or video on Crown land, including reserved land, and intend to receive money or another form of consideration from that content.
This does not apply only to traditional film crews. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service specifically identifies social media creators, influencers, stock photographers and people producing images for books or galleries.
Payment or consideration can include:
- advertising or monetisation revenue
- brand endorsements
- sponsorship
- free or discounted accommodation
- free or discounted travel
- equipment or clothing
- other benefits received in return for content
A person filming or photographing solely for personal use and enjoyment, without an intention to receive money or another benefit, does not need a business licence.
Enthusiast Business Licence
The Enthusiast Business Licence is intended for individual creators undertaking small-scale, low-impact filming with handheld devices, cameras, accessories and tripods. Activities must take place on formed tracks, roads and generally accessible areas and must have negligible impact on the land and other visitors.
The licence costs $100 including GST, can be approved for up to 24 months and does not require public liability insurance. Applications must be submitted at least seven business days before the proposed filming dates.
Drones are not permitted under an Enthusiast Business Licence.
Commercial Filming Licence
A Commercial Filming Licence is required for productions, crews and activities with a greater potential to affect the land or other visitors. This can include off-track filming, organised shoots, advertising, documentaries, television productions, promotional material and other higher-impact commercial activities.
The standard commercial filming fee is $440 including GST for a production involving up to eight people, with an additional fee for each extra person. Applicants must hold at least $20 million in public liability insurance and submit the application at least 21 business days before the proposed dates.
Drone use may be considered as part of a commercial filming proposal, but the operator must also apply for specific remotely piloted aircraft authority. Approval is assessed for the nominated dates and locations and is not automatic.
For creators visiting Tasmania, a monetised website, YouTube channel or social account may be enough to bring filming within the business licensing system, even when the creator is hiking alone and using only a phone or handheld camera.
Can you launch outside a park and fly over it?
Launching from outside a park boundary should not be treated as a simple loophole.
Some park legislation and policies apply expressly to operations over reserved land, while others regulate launching, landing, controlling or operating a drone from within the park. Wildlife, cultural heritage, emergency management and aviation rules may also apply regardless of where the operator is standing.
A flight beginning outside the boundary could still disturb wildlife, enter restricted airspace, pass over people, interfere with park operations or breach a rule applying to the land below. When the proposed route would cross a park or reserve, seek written clarification from the relevant agency.
Drones and wildlife
Wildlife may react to a drone as an unfamiliar aircraft, a predator or another source of disturbance. Birds can leave nests, alter feeding behaviour or become aggressive towards the drone. Marine mammals, breeding colonies and animals already affected by heat, fire, drought or human activity may be particularly vulnerable.
Raptors such as wedge-tailed eagles may approach or attack drones. This can injure the bird, damage the drone and create a risk to people below. Nesting birds and shorebirds can also be disturbed well before an operator notices any obvious reaction. That’s exactly why I’d rather leave the drone packed away than risk it near raptors that seem happy to treat a drone as a challenge rather than a curiosity.
Do not approach, follow, circle or repeatedly fly over wildlife. If an animal changes its behaviour, looks towards the drone, moves away, vocalises, leaves a nest or attempts to confront it, increase the distance and land safely.
Individual states impose minimum approach distances for whales, dolphins and other protected animals. These requirements can be greater than the normal CASA separation distances and may apply to the drone itself rather than the person operating it.
Respecting other park visitors
People visit parks to walk, camp, listen to wildlife and spend time away from traffic and technology. A drone may be in the air for only a few minutes, but its sound can carry across a valley, lake, beach or exposed ridgeline.
Legal permission should be treated as the minimum standard rather than the complete test of whether a flight is appropriate. Avoid flying near campsites, huts, lookouts, picnic areas, swimming holes and popular walking tracks, even when you believe the required separation distance can be maintained. Even where I’d be legally within my rights, I generally don’t bother flying near a packed lookout or a quiet campsite. It’s not worth the resentment it creates, and it undercuts the reason most of us go bush in the first place.
Do not record identifiable people without considering their privacy. Be especially cautious around children, private conversations, campsites and people swimming or changing clothes.
Before flying a drone on a hike
I run through the same checklist every time before a drone comes out of the bag. Before taking a drone into a park, reserve or forest:
- Identify the organisation that manages the land.
- Read the official drone policy and the page for the individual park.
- Check whether the flight is recreational, commercial, sponsored or connected to monetised content.
- Obtain written permission or a filming permit when required.
- Check current park closures, fire operations and emergency alerts.
- Use a CASA-verified drone safety app to review the airspace.
- Check for wildlife, marine mammal and cultural heritage restrictions.
- Consider whether the location is too busy to maintain safe distances from other people.
- Carry any approvals, licences and insurance documents required for the operation.
- Be prepared to leave the drone packed away if conditions, wildlife or visitor numbers make the flight inappropriate.
Reporting unsafe drone use
Unsafe drone operations can be reported to CASA. CASA can issue infringement fines of up to $1,820 per offence, while matters taken to court can result in fines of up to $18,200. CASA may also restrict or cancel an operator’s accreditation, licence, certificate or registration.
Suspected breaches of national park rules should be reported to the relevant park agency. Contact emergency services only when the drone presents an immediate danger or is interfering with an active emergency operation.
Official drone and park resources
The following official resources should be checked before every flight. Links are provided here rather than throughout the article so that the current government guidance is easy to locate and review.
Australia-wide drone rules
- CASA: Drone rules
- CASA: Verified drone safety apps
- CASA: Drone registration requirements
- CASA: Drone weight categories and business requirements
- CASA: Enforcement and penalties
- CASA: Report an unsafe drone operation
- Australian Government: State, territory and local drone rules
Australian Capital Territory
New South Wales
Northern Territory
- Northern Territory Parks: Aircraft and drone permits
- Northern Territory Parks: Rules for flying drones in parks
Queensland
South Australia
Tasmania
- Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service: Drones in parks
- Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service: Filming and photography
- Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service: Enthusiast Business Licence
- Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service: Commercial Filming Licence
- Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service: Filming and photography licence FAQs
Victoria
- Parks Victoria: Filming, photography and drone permits
- Victorian Government: Recreational activities in State forests
Western Australia
- Explore Parks WA: Drones in parks
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions: Commercial filming
Commonwealth-managed parks
- Parks Australia: Commonwealth national parks
- Parks Australia: Commercial filming and media permits
- Kakadu National Park: Frequently asked questions, including drones
- Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park: Photography and drone rules
Main image credit: Jason Blackeye, Unsplash.
🤔 would be nice to talk to each of the states as to where to find the appropriate regulations. Here in Western Australia it has varied in the past few years – initially you had to request a permit taking up to 6 weeks but they pulled that back due to difficulty policing it. Here is the current regulations for Western Australia https://exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au/drones-parks
Michael Goh that’s a good idea. I’ll look at adding links to the post. Thanks for the suggestion. Cheers, Darren
Just don’t!
It’s annoying to every single other person using that space.
You know how annoying a mosquito in your tent is? Multiply that by a million and that’s how annoying drone users are!!!
Ruining everyone else experience with their incessant buzzing just so THEY can get the perfect shot at everyone else’s expense.
Just stop it!!!
Just don’t. You are annoying literally everyone around you.
What are your thoughts on how drone regulations might balance the enjoyment of nature with the need to protect wildlife in our parks and reserves?
Trail Hiking Australia to be honest, I don’t really understand how drone use, or the lack of it, impacts someone’s ability to enjoy nature. From what I’ve seen, drones are mostly used to create TikTok videos, YouTube content, or reels to grow an audience. That’s not about experiencing nature; it’s about using it as a backdrop to serve your own social media goals. The issue is, this kind of behaviour is often illegal, and it can disturb wildlife and disrupt the experience for others who are there for peace, quiet, and genuine connection with the natural world. It’s hard to justify that kind of impact just for the sake of content. It does come across as a bit entitled.
Grant Hollingworth good points.
I avoided buying a drone for a long time as I really didn’t wanna be ‘that guy’ being a nuisance. I ended up buying one because I’m a photographer and there’s only so long I could resist buying a flying camera!
To be honest though it barely gets used. The restrictions both from take off / landing and CASA regulations to follow make it pretty limited where you can fly one (responsibly). I see a lot of people flat out ignoring the laws and regulations. I’m not sure how much disturbance they really cause. I know birds see them as a threat and will occasionally attack drones. Especially during spring when protecting their young. Then again, maggies do that to me on my bike! I guess it’s about finding a balance and minimising impact on wildlife and others trying to enjoy their peace.
Technically you can take off from outside of a national park and fly over it. They have no jurisdiction on the airspace – that’s CASA. Practically though, that’s almost impossible to do, you need to maintain line of sight.
Gavan Mitchell Thanks for the considered response, and I appreciate the balanced perspective you’ve taken here. You’ve hit on the core challenge: balancing the creative potential of drones (especially for photographers) with the need to minimise disruption to wildlife and other park users. It’s great to hear you’re approaching this so responsibly.
You’re right that CASA governs airspace, but land managers (like Parks Vic for example) regulate take-off and landing on their land—and without legal take-off/landing, that makes flying in many natural areas effectively off-limits. As you said, line of sight rules make the ‘launch from outside’ option pretty impractical in most cases.
Unfortunately, the people who ignore these regulations often create the most impact, which can reflect poorly on the drone community as a whole. Thanks again for sharing your experience.
Trail Hiking Australia “Unfortunately, the people who ignore these regulations often create the most impact, which can reflect poorly on the drone community as a whole. Thanks again for sharing your experience.”
100% this. Like a lot of things, the ones most visible are often wrecking it for those that try to minimise disruption.
The other side of the coin, is that the laws and regs are so complex, and varied that some people find it very difficult to know where they can and cannot fly, or when they are doing the wrong thing. Each local council have their own version of their regulations, while also abiding by CASA laws. Making it easy for people to know would be helpful. There are apps that help with this but I’m sure not everyone flying would be aware.
Gavan Mitchell totally agree with this. I’ve met a lot of people out in parks who thought it was allowed. The sad truth was that they tried to check if they could but found so much conflicting information it made it impossible to know.
It’s stupid.
If they were worried about wildlife they would stop cars from going in to parks because kangaroos and other animals jump out in front of them and get hit.
There is no evidence it upsets Mr and Mrs Wombat at all, typical Government over regulating us again.
The feral goats and deer do more damage than someones Xmas toy will. Those toys may even help find problems.
Peter Jolly I get the frustration as some of the rules can definitely feel over the top at first glance. You’re right that feral animals and even cars do far more damage overall. I’d argue people probably do too. But drone restrictions are usually about the disturbance they can cause to wildlife and the experience of other park users. Some species, especially birds of prey like wedge-tailed eagles, can abandon their nests if disturbed during breeding season. That kind of impact isn’t always obvious, but it’s serious. I agree drones have real potential as useful tools such as search and rescue, monitoring, spotting bushfire risk, but in public parks, the goal is usually to set clear boundaries for the public that minimise unintentional harm.
Hopefully none. These are such a disturbing presence and kinda creepy.