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Drone deliveries

Drones offer an environmentally-friendly way to deliver goods quickly and affordably.
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Drones are expected to become an integral part of the transport industry in Australia. Their speed, accessibility and relatively low operating costs are key driving factors for this change. Drone delivery services provide on-demand goods to customers from a local delivery hub.

Drone delivery operations in Australia

In Australia, drone delivery operators (like other businesses) must seek a variety of approvals prior to operating. These include approvals from: Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA); planning authorities; or other jurisdiction approvals (as required). They are also required to abide to regulations including: Part 101 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1988 (CASR) (managed by CASA which contains the rules governing all unmanned aircraft activities); and the Air Navigation (Aircraft Noise) Regulations 2018 (managed by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts). Before operating, drone delivery operators must also apply for a noise approval.

Wing drone hovering over a house, lowing its delivery package onto the driveway, while a mother and son watch.
Photo credit: Wing Aviation LLC
Drone Delivery Guidelines

An Infrastructure Planning Framework was developed as a guide for planning for drone delivery services using small sized drones (less than 25kg). Further information is available at Infrastructure Planning Framework | Drones. 

Other use cases: 

On 12 November 2025, in an Australian-first, Charles Darwin University’s (CDU) North Australia Centre for Autonomous Systems delivered essential medication via drone to a remote community in West Arnhem in the Northern Territory (NT). The medications were used to treat sepsis, heart conditions, and anaphylactic shock.

Supported under Round One of the Australian Government’s Emerging Aviation Technology Partnerships (EATP) Program, the CDU team established capability to deliver health-related items using drones between Jabiru and Gunbalunya. Regulatory approval to fly beyond visual line-of-sight was provided by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

This remote drone health care capability is essential to provide urgent medical care to remote communities, particularly when isolated by flooding during the wet season. The delivery between health centres took 32 minutes, ensuring the patient received lifesaving treatment before they were airlifted 280km to Royal Darwin Hospital.

Funding under the EATP program has been critical to help build health care supply chain resilience in the NT over the past three years, with drones playing an increasingly important role. The EATP program also supports industry to navigate complex regulatory approvals required to enable life-saving aeromedical operations in regional and remote Australia.

YouTube - First remote community medical drop by drone (East Alligator Medical Airbridge, NT)

YouTube - EATP program - UAS operations for local (NT) community members

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Regulations (see Section 16A in particular) Commercial drone noise complaints General drone safety complaints Wing