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What recommendation, if any, did the Ministry for Regulation make as to whether agricultural drone operations should be permitted on the basis of prior notification to the Civil Aviation Authority only, and did that recommendation depart from the preferred pathway of broader reform of Civil Aviation Rule Part 137 recorded in its aide-mémoire MFR2026-026 of 10 February 2026?

Answered Question 41007 (2026)
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Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

  • What recommendation, if any, did the Ministry for Regulation make as to whether agricultural drone operations should be permitted on the basis of prior notification to the Civil Aviation Authority only, and did that recommendation depart from the preferred pathway of broader reform of Civil Aviation Rule Part 137 recorded in its aide-mémoire MFR2026-026 of 10 February 2026?

Answered by

Hon David Seymour

Member for Epsom · ACT Party · Minister for Regulation

Answer

The Ministry for Regulation did not recommend that agricultural drone operations be permitted on the basis of prior notification to the Civil Aviation Authority only. In advice provided to my office, the Ministry recommended a long-term pathway of broader reform of Civil Aviation Rule Part 137 to create a dedicated regulatory regime for agricultural drone operations. The Ministry also recommended interim changes to enable certain lower-risk agricultural spraying operations under Part 101. The notification-only pathway was a policy option subsequently developed by the Ministry of Transport/Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport as part of the Civil Aviation Rules Programme.