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“I am incredibly concerned about the impact on animals, wildlife and people from not only the noise the larger drones will make, but their impact on pets and wildlife.
I have already received complaints from concerned Canberrans about their lack of privacy, the noise the drones are making, but also the impact on their companion animals, setting many dogs off barking around the neighbourhood.”
Then there’s the impact to our wildlife. The risk to birds is significantly raised, as birds might not be able to hear each other, which could provide greater advantage for their predators. Bird calls are key to the species’ survival, letting them warn each other of danger and even finding a mate. Only this week the Gang Gang was placed on the endangered species list.
“I will stand with Canberrans to ensure that their privacy, serenity, their animals (pets), as well as wildlife, are not adversely affected by these drones.”
Ms del Valle promises to lobby fellow politicians, obtain all the data gathered by a recent enquiry through FOI (freedom of information) and place pressure on getting the legislation changed to protect privacy and animal welfare.
An inquiry into the impact of drones was conducted in 2019 and provided some data on the noise pollution stating that at 200metres, the noise level for one drone was 46 decibels. Unfortunately no further noise data was released, however local residents claimed “..that the drones were significantly louder than a vacuum cleaner” (132 Tuggeranong Dog Training Club). Dogs can hear about four (4) times the distance of a human and have a wider spectrum of hearing, so when the Drone launching and landing pads were placed opposite the dog training facility, the disruption to both humans and animals was unacceptable.
Last year Amazon’s ‘Five-year Drone Delivery Plan’ failed, with the announcement of mass redundancies as it was forced to wind down a huge part of its UK delivery business. In 2018, the Tuggeranong community sentiment was made very clear with the fail attempt to introduce drone delivery in Bonython.
A recent study found that 25% of online shoppers would be less likely to order a package if they knew a drone was going to deliver it. The study found many shoppers concerned of damage to their orders or the drone getting stolen or hacked. The study also found that the majority of older people (55y +) would avoid ordering via drone delivery.
So if Drone deliveries are to become the new norm, then pack up the kites, get used to a chorus of barking dogs, listen to bird calls via headphones, dodge frightened fleeing wildlife and get used to the continuous buzzing overhead.
Reference links:
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/amazon-drone-delivery-prime-air
https://clutch.co/logistics/resources/drone-delivery-statistics-benefits-challenges
Quotes attributable to Animal Justice Party SA Spokesperson:
“I am incredibly concerned about the impact on animals, wildlife and people from not only the noise the larger drones will make, but their impact on pets and wildlife.
I have already received complaints from concerned Canberrans about their lack of privacy, the noise the drones are making, but also the impact on their companion animals, setting many dogs off barking around the neighbourhood.”
“I will stand with Canberrans to ensure that their privacy, serenity, their animals (pets), as well as wildlife, are not adversely affected by these drones.”
-ends
Media Contact
Contact: Yana del Valle
Ph: 0402207249
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
The Animal Justice Party (AJP) is the only political party in Australia dedicated to protecting all animals. With three members of parliament, and two councillors now elected, the party is rapidly becoming a political powerhouse for animals. Our Victorian and New South Wales MPs are already taking huge steps forward for animals, holding the government to account, and introducing bills to end animal cruelty.
For more information, please visit www.animaljusticeparty.org
