Page 4635 - Week 12 - Thursday, 1 November 2018

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(i) investment that has been brought in to the Territory;

(ii) number of jobs that have been created as part of the trial; and

(iii) extent of collaboration with local industry and academic institutions;

(i) local authorities such as the Environment Protection Authority, Worksafe and Access Canberra; and

(ii) Commonwealth agencies such as Air Services Australia and Civil Aviation Safety Authority;

(d) the extent of any environmental impact as a result of trialling drone delivery technology on:

(i) residents within the trial area;

(ii) native wildlife; and

(iii) domestic animals;

(e) ways to improve the use of drone delivery technology within the ACT;

(f) any other relevant matter; and

(2) the Committee report to the Assembly on the matter no later than the last sitting week in 2019.

The motion I bring forward today seeks to establish an inquiry of the economic development and tourism committee to investigate the current trial of drone delivery services occurring in the ACT.

This is a great innovation that is occurring in the ACT, and certainly an investment in a pilot project that the opposition has welcomed into the territory. It is great to see that the ACT is on the map as a destination not just for new investment but also for the trialling of new technology. I have been most excited to see that being undertaken in my electorate of Tuggeranong, which often suffers from being overlooked by particularly the CBD but also the town centres of Belconnen and Woden.

When I heard the news of the trial of a drone delivery service, the ability to order food or convenience products and have them delivered by air to your doorstep, I thought it was a very exciting concept. That said, the reality for many residents of Bonython has been vastly different. Having to live in the trial area, residents have raised significant concern around the loss of amenity that they have experienced in their suburb.

The purpose of establishing the inquiry is to provide a learning opportunity, a learning opportunity that we, as legislators and regulators, should take. This is a world first trial occurring here on our doorstep, looking at new technology. As is often the case, innovation in technology evolves at a much more rapid pace than the pace at which legislators are able to understand the pros and the cons of what is occurring. There remains a need for us to take advantage of the trial and the investments happening on our doorstep and, as a world-first jurisdiction, learn the lessons of this trial.

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