Flying a drone
Did you know that drones are actually aircrafts? Yes, even the fun ones that look like toys. Because of this, drone flyers need to follow the rules from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to keep themselves and others safe. Here’s six simple rules to follow:
1. Don't fly higher than 120m above the ground.
2. Don't fly over people unless you have their permission.
3. Don't fly over properties such as farms or houses unless you have permission from the owner.
4. Always keep your drone in sight.
5. You will need to log your flight with New Zealand's hub for drone users - AirShare app as a No.6
6. Always stay 4km away from anywhere aircraft are landing or taking off (specifically Hamilton Airport and Waikato Hospital Helicopter Pad).
Council rules
We don’t want to drone on about the nitty-gritty details of where you can and can’t fly your drone in Council-managed spaces, so we’ve summed it up into three different groups.
Allowed:
| Public place | Rules |
| All parks and reserves (includes Hamilton Lake, Taitua Arboretum and Council-owned gullies |
Allowed to fly over, take off and land in all parks and reserves, making sure you are following the CAA rules above. Flying within 100m of a children's playground in a park is banned and never allowed. |
| Pedestrian zones (Garden Place, Commerce Street, Civic Square) |
Allowed to fly over, take off and land in our pedestrian zones, making sure you are following the CAA rules above. If there is an event happening at one of these pedestrian zones, we ask that you hold off using your drone until the event is completed. You can email our Events team to make sure your filming doesn’t clash with a planned event. |
| Council-owned car park | Flying over only (no take-off or landing) |
| Council-owned or operated buildings | Flying over only (no take-off or landing) |
Restricted: need consent
| Public place | Rules |
| All public roads |
You will need permission from Council to fly over, take off or land on all public roads. Approval for this request will be assessed on:
Apply for a Corridor Access Request: |
| Cemeteries |
You will need permission from Council to fly over, take off or land at our Cemeteries. Special drone requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis for activities such as mapping. Formal approval by the Cemetery is required around any drone usage.
Get in contact with the Cemetery: |
| Hamilton Gardens |
You will need written permission from both Hamilton Gardens and the control tower at Hamilton Airport. You can do this online through airshare.co.nz. Permission from the Air Control Tower must be provided to Hamilton Gardens staff before approval can be given, to avoid conflict with other bookings or photography shoots. |
| Hamilton Zoo |
You will need permission to fly over, take off or land at Hamilton Zoo. Special requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis for controlled filming over specific areas for activities such as mapping.
Get in contact with Hamilton Zoo: |
| Pools and surrounding play areas |
You will need permission from Council to fly over, take off or land in our pool facilities and surrounding play areas. A Risk Assessment and Management form (RAM) may need to be completed to identify any risks. Get in contact with the Hamilton Pools: |
| Council venues (FMG Stadium Waikato, Seddon Park, Claudelands Event Centre) |
You will need permission to fly over, take off or land in our Council venues. Formal approval by venue management and the client would be required around any drone usage. Contact our venues.
Flying a drone is always banned in Mill Street field, Willoughby Park, Beetham Park and Claudelands Oval when events being held in the relevant H3 facility. |
Banned:
| Public place | Rules |
| Fire ban period | You are never allowed to fly a drone during a fire ban period. |
| Council-owned car parks | You are never allowed to take off or land in Council-owned car parks. Flying over is allowed. |
| Children’s playground | You are never allowed to fly within 100m of a children's playground in a park. |
| Council-owned or operated buildings | You are never allowed to take off or land in Council-owned or operated buildings. Flying over is allowed. |
| Treatment plants and water reservoirs | You are never allowed to fly over, take off or land on our three waters infrastructure including our treatment plants and water reservoirs. |
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Last updated 4 September 2024