More unjustified surveillance of citizens?

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MOREE SURVEILLANCE DRONES

The town of Moree in New South Wales is trialling drone surveillance technology for six months, in a move that will ‘enhance public safety’ and ‘improve local monitoring systems’.

This initiative, led by the Moree Plains Shire Council, forms part of a broader strategy to incorporate “innovative technologies” in community services – with drones playing a key role in ‘crime prevention’, ‘traffic management’, and ‘environmental monitoring’.

The trial, which began in early 2026, is being described as “…a progressive step in utilising emerging technologies to respond to community needs more efficiently”.

Drones will be deployed over both urban and rural areas of the town, focusing on public spaces, major roadways, and key infrastructure sites.

According to the council, the objectives of the drone surveillance trial will be to ‘improve public safety’, ‘assist with law enforcement’, and ‘support traffic management efforts’.

The drones are equipped with high-resolution cameras and thermal sensors, enabling authorities to monitor any activities on the network in real-time.

They say this will allow them to respond faster to incidents such as accidents, public disturbances, or environmental hazards, with drones offering a bird’s-eye view.

A council spokesman noted that the use of drones could also play a role in other areas, such as ‘tracking water levels in agricultural zones’ or ‘detecting bushfires early’.

With the region’s reliance on agriculture, maintaining such surveillance is seen as “crucial” for managing resources, particularly during periods of extreme weather conditions.

It all sounds like a great thing, until you consider the privacy implications that are involved when monitoring large spaces occupied by innocent citizens.

Unsurprisingly, this new program offers the potential for drones to aid local law enforcement by providing aerial coverage of ‘crime hotspots’.

The ability to monitor public spaces continuously could ‘assist police in gathering evidence or deterring crime’, as drones will ‘make it harder for criminal activities to go unnoticed’.

This, I believe, is the main objective of the program.

Despite what authorities say are the “promising benefits” of drone surveillance, the trial has raised concerns among privacy advocates and residents.

Critics argue the use of drones in public spaces could lead to an erosion of privacy rights, with warnings that citizens may feel increasingly surveilled in their daily activities.

There are also fears that such technology could be abused if not regulated properly.

In response, the council has assured the public that ‘strict guidelines’ will govern the use of drones throughout the trial period.

They say drones will not be used to record individuals without just cause, and ‘all operations will be conducted transparently’.

The council has also stated that it will be conducting regular reviews of the programme to ensure ‘compliance with privacy laws’ and that the ‘benefits outweigh the risks’.

Local authorities have pledged to hold public consultations at various stages of the trial, giving the community a chance to voice concerns and provide feedback.

They have also promised to implement any necessary adjustments based on public opinion and the outcomes of the trial. We shall see about that.

The trial will last six months, after which an evaluation will be conducted to assess its impact on crime rates, traffic flow, and public safety. The findings will then be used to decide whether the programme should be extended or adopted permanently.

As Moree embarks on its drone trial, all eyes will be on the town to see how it navigates these challenges and whether the use of drones becomes a model for others to follow.

The outcome of this trial could be a defining moment in the ongoing debate over the balance between ‘innovation’ and privacy in the modern world.

A balance that is increasingly shifting towards the side of ‘innovation’ at the expense of privacy in ways that humanity has never seen before.

Very soon, the visions once only found on science fiction pages will completely come to life.

EYES IN THE SKY

The introduction of drones in Moree is part of a wider trend across Australia, where other local councils and states are experimenting with drone technology in various capacities.

As technological advancements continue, drones are expected to become an integral tool in urban planning and ‘public safety management’. We have already seen this occur:

Surveillance drones to monitor holiday period
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Let’s not forget the role that drones played during the ‘pandemic’ period, acting as a means to watch over the cities like a hawk to ensure nobody was disobeying orders.

Drones deployed to monitor AFL gatherings
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But what is concerning is the introduction of these flying units under the guise of ‘environmental protection’.

For instance, drones were noted in the bushfire royal commission, and NSW flood inquiry, as providing the potential to ‘greatly help identify and prepare for hazards’.

Drones to be incorporated into future bushfire responses
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This raises red flags as it is clear to see that ‘bushfire recovery’ programs are just a way to heavily monitor regional and bushland areas ahead of Agenda 2030.

Eyes in the Wild: Reach of ‘bushfire recovery’ cameras revealed
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In 2023, the Department of Transport and Main Roads in QLD announced they would be flying thermal drones over multiple regions at night time as a means of ‘wildlife monitoring’.

Queensland’s south-east set for thermal drones to ‘monitor wildlife’
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At what point do residents start asking questions about the increase in these ‘innovative programs’? Do you trust that all of these initiatives are not designed to monitoring you?

Furthermore, who is doing the monitoring? Let’s not forget that most drone technology available in the market place today are made by Chinese-owned companies.

Chinese Drones are Monitoring Australian Skies
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This is all part of the massive shift towards robotic police officers and enforcement procedures for crimes of the future that will emerge as Agenda 2030 takes further shape.

Are You Ready for Robotic Police Officers?
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Have you entered into a ‘restricted wildlife zone’? Decided to travel outside of your 15-minute ‘smart city’? Dare to go against laws designed to imprison you?

The ‘eyes in the sky’ will be watching alongside a sophisticated CCTV network.

The Age of Big Brother: Australia’s Biometric Shift
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Remind me to avoid travelling to Moree in the foreseeable future.

What are your thoughts on this new initiative?

Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comment section below!

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