The wonder of the Snowy Mountains and the mighty Snowy Scheme is undeniable. At Snowy Hydro we appreciate how beautiful this area is from any angle, however, the recreational use of drones in or over Snowy Hydro’s land and assets is not permitted. The majority of our assets are within the confines of Kosciuszko National Park, therefore drone pilots are required to comply with the National Parks and Wildlife Service drone regulations which can be found here.
We note the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is the governing body for drone use. Queries should be directed to the (CASA) via its website, or by calling 131 757.
Snowy Hydro is focused on:
- protecting equipment or loss of electricity supply caused by drones being operated in proximity to electrical infrastructure;
- minimising environmental disturbance;
- respecting and adhering to privacy concerns for other land users;
- mitigating potential loss of control of drones due to localised wind effects caused by dams and other infrastructure.
Restrictions
All drone use is subject to a 60-metre exclusion zone in all directions from dam walls, buildings, substations, power stations and other Snowy Hydro assets.
Any drone operators found to be operating without Snowy Hydro Limited’s approval, or not in accordance with the issued approval, will be requested to stop and all details will be provided to CASA for further action.
For full drone safety rules please visit CASA’s website here.
Commercial filming
Commercial filming in, around or over our assets, or drone use for media, scientific or educational purposes requires written approval from Snowy Hydro. To be eligible for consideration, a formal request must be submitted to Snowy Hydro Corporate Affairs via email to corporate.affairs@snowyhydro.com.au at least 14 days prior to the proposed filming date. Drone use requests for aerial asset inspection, aerial surveying and similar operations may take longer to process and should be submitted as early as possible.
Application process
When flying drones for commercial purposes, please submit the following via email to corporate.affairs@snowyhydro.com.au
- CASA-issued RPA operators certificate (ReOC) (for drones over 2kg)
- CASA-issued remote pilot licence (RePL) for each proposed operator (for drones over 2kg)
- Flight plan that demonstrates operators will not enter any of Snowy Hydro’s pre-determined exclusion zones
- Aviation-specific public liability insurance certificate
- Flight risk assessment
- Pedestrian and vehicle management plan with the proposed pedestrian exclusion zone illustrated
Reporting drone activities
Unauthorised use
If you wish to report unauthorised or illegal drone use on Snowy Hydro’s land and assets, including sharing of footage on websites and social media, please contact corporate.affairs@snowyhydro.com.auUnsafe use
If you witness unsafe and dangerous drone activity, contact should be made directly with CASA. For more information, click here.
Where public safety is at risk, please report the incident to the local police. If there is an emergency please call 000.