Tasmania's peak farming body has raised concerns about the increasing use of drones in the state's rural areas - saying it may be connected to illegal activities.
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TasFarmers president Ian Sauer said farmers have been increasingly seeing drones flying at under 150 metres over agricultural land.
"These drones may be surveying for various reasons, including mineral exploration or other unknown, potentially illegal purposes," Mr Sauer said.
"We're seeing people pulling up on the side of roads and using drones to inspect sheds, houses, outbuildings, and vehicles.
"So, we don't know whether they're just curious onlookers or animal activists."
He said 'bogan criminals' were using drones to case farms, with the aim of stealing equipment.
Drones were also being used on properties to find access points, for shooters or fishers to enter the farm.
"The impact on farmers is nerve-racking, as they don't know if the purpose of the drone is to poach animals, steal equipment, or take images that could be used out of context." he said.
"We're hearing reports of people looking for deer with large antlers for trophies, to flying around the farm to look at access points."
Interest in drone usage for legitimate agricultural purposes is on the increase, but take up is still low.
Farmers were also missing out on the potential of drone technology, said one expert.
Mr Sauer said it was also disturbing to hear drones had been flown into dairies and calf sheds on Tasmania's north-west coast.
He said if drones were being flown under 150 metres above ground level, operators must get the farmer's permission - similar to the rules applying to light planes.
"Apart from it being an intrusion on your workplace, a drone flying around lambing ewes or cows and calves that haven't had that interaction before can result in the high probability of mis-mothering," he said.
It was a matter of courtesy for people wanting to do aerial surveys to notify the farmer first, he said.
The technology was moving a lot faster than the regulations and legislation governing it, Mr Sauer said.
"We need the regulations and legislation on drones over private land changed immediately and we want very strong penalties to stop people using them to intrude on farms," he said.
Mr Sauer said he was hoping other peak farming bodies would join TasFarmers in seeking changes to the regulations.
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) had already indicated "it is happy to work with us," he said.
"I'll be talking to the other state farming organisation chairs around Australia to see if we can't get some national consistency, because, in the end, it comes under the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) so let's get the state farming organisations to take control of this issue.
"Technology changes so quickly, we have to keep up with it."
Mr Sauer said TasFarmers had already worked closely with the VFF on a farm access code and drones needed to be part of that.
"Technology has even taken over from that a little bit - there will be a review next year, and I am sure part of that review will be looking at all this new technology that's coming out and making sure we are ahead of the game."
Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
