Agricultural drones

Agricultural drones are transforming farm operations across Australia - making it safer, faster, and more efficient to monitor land, livestock and crops.

Two farmers standing waist-deep in a green crop field under a blue sky, launching a drone into the air to monitor their farmland.

Today’s agricultural drones are capable of:

  • Aerial monitoring: quickly inspect fences, dams, crops or livestock without entering hazardous or remote areas.
  • Spraying and spreading: reduce manual handling and chemical exposure by applying products from the air.
  • Thermal imaging and multispectral scanning: identify heat stress, pests, irrigation issues, or stock in real time.
  • High-resolution mapping: create maps for planning infrastructure, fencing, or sowing with fewer hours on foot or machinery.

Agricultural drones improve safety by:

  • reducing time spent on high-risk farm vehicles, such as quad bikes and SSVs in rough or dangerous terrain
  • minimising the need for manual chemical handling
  • detecting hazards early including injured livestock or leaks
  • lowering machinery-related risks on-farm.

Rebate support

Eligible small farming businesses in NSW may be eligible for the $1,000 SafeWork small business rebate for the purchase of an eligible agricultural drone.

How to apply

  1. Check your eligibility in the terms and conditions.
  2. Organise your eligible interaction with SafeWork NSW - this must be a 1:1 with a SafeWork NSW Inspector. Events are not eligible interactions for an agricultural drone under the rebate.
  3. Purchase an agricultural drone from the list of eligible agricultural drones.
  4. Submit your application and receipt.

List of eligible agricultural drones

DJI agriculture drones

Crop protection drones

All AGRAS series drones require a RePL and Type certification to operate.

Mission planning and property inspection camera drones

^ Matrice 350 RTK and 400 require a RePL to operate.

XAG agriculture drones

All XAG drones require a RePL and Type certification to operate.

Requirements for operating

Before flying a drone on your farm, you must follow the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulations.

CASA requires anyone flying a drone for business or commercial use (including farm work) to meet certain accreditation and registration requirements, based on the weight of the drone.

All operators must:

  • register the drone via the CASA website (free for drones used on farms, valid for 12 months)
  • hold a valid accreditation appropriate to the drone's weight and use.

For drones under 25kg

You must:

  • register the drone with CASA
  • complete the free online RPA Operator Accreditation on the CASA website (this replaces the need for a Remote Pilot Licence (RePL) for basic operations under 25kg on private land).

For drones over 25kg

You must:

  • register the drone with CASA
  • hold a Remote Pilot Licence (RePL)
  • operate under a business or organisation with a Remote Operator’s Certificate (ReOC).
 

If you're using drones to spray chemicals or fertilisers, or flying beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), additional approvals and licensing may be required. Learn more at the CASA website.

Further information

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