WA police will use a new drone program to gather real-time intelligence before officers reach emergencies. Drones will launch from docking stations in Kwinana, Rockingham and Baldivis and can operate beyond line of sight. They will be dispatched from a command centre in Perth. Police Minister Reece Whitby says the program is an Australian first. Targeted uses include family and domestic violence matters, missing persons, crimes in progress and stolen vehicles.
The Victorian Government is using drones, long-range cameras and more officers to crack down on illegal dumping. The measures cover the Hume, Melton, Banyule and Greater Geelong council areas. Advanced drones can detect rubbish under vegetation and buried waste, while sniffer drones detect gases. Cameras can capture footage of trucks up to a kilometre away. Offenders face fines of up to about $800,000 or five years in prison.
Illegal waste dumpers across Greater Geelong are being put on notice under a new state government crackdown. Greater Geelong will partner with the Illegal Waste Dumping Taskforce at sites where councils report rising unlawful dumping. Environment Minister Jaclyn Symes said drones and long-range cameras will be used to find dumped rubbish and identify those responsible. EPA executive director of operations Rachel Gualano said councils are being encouraged to help, adding that solutions will be tailored to each site. Residents who spot illegal dumping can report it to EPA Victoria.
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Four Victorian councils will work with the state's Illegal Waste Dumping Taskforce to target dumping hotspots. Hume, Banyule, Melton and Greater Geelong will use drones, surveillance cameras and extra officers to identify offenders. The Environment Protection Authority is also deploying drones that detect gases. The taskforce has issued 22 clean-up orders and identified 18 new leads. Convicted individuals can face fines of about $800,000 or five years' imprisonment. Victorian Minister for Environment Jaclyn Symes said the new technology makes it harder for dumpers to hide.
The City of Greater Geelong is joining a Victorian state taskforce to target illegal dumping hotspots. The $21.5 million taskforce uses drones with sensors that can find rubbish hidden under vegetation or buried underground, along with long-range cameras. Environment Minister Jaclyn Symes said the technology would help catch offenders. Greater Geelong has received more than 6,600 requests to remove dumped rubbish in 2024-25, a figure that has risen each year since 2021. Individuals face fines of up to about $800,000 or five years in prison, and businesses face penalties of up to $3.95 million.
The federal government has released previously secret details showing Australia's Ghost Shark submarine can launch up to 12 sea mines and swarms of kamikaze drones. The fully autonomous stealth submarine is being developed by the Navy and weapon maker Anduril. Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said the vessel gives the Navy greater deterrence and now has teeth. Footage shows it launching Altius drones, which can gather intelligence and strike targets. The Ghost Shark will also be shared with the UK and US under AUKUS Pillar II, which focuses on advanced defence technologies.
Defence has revealed that Australia's Ghost Shark underwater drones can launch swarms of aerial drones carrying explosives and carry up to 12 sea mines. The navy is receiving dozens of the vehicles under a $1.7 billion contract signed last year. Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said the drones now have the ability to deny areas through mining and to strike targets far from Australia. The capabilities are being offered to the United States and United Kingdom under AUKUS technology sharing arrangements.
The Victorian government is deploying drones, long-range cameras and extra enforcement officers to target illegal rubbish dumping in four council areas. Hume, Banyule, Melton and Greater Geelong councils will work with the $21.5 million Illegal Waste Dumping Taskforce. Environment Minister Jaclyn Symes says the operation will help track down offenders. Businesses can face fines of up to $3.95 million, while individuals face penalties of up to approximately $800,000 or five years' imprisonment, depending on the offence.
Parents are offering to learn to fly drones to help protect City Beach from shark attacks. Surf club president Eoghan McKenna said qualified volunteers will boost aerial surveillance when the nippers season begins on October 25. The move follows a dead whale that washed up nearby earlier this month, attracting sharks close to shore. Earlier, swimmer Greg O’Neill was attacked by a suspected white shark at Sorrento Beach. The State Government has committed a further $5 million to shark mitigation this year.
A new robotics academy in Underwood is giving young students hands-on experience with machines, drones and coding. The XROBOT Academy opened in September at 170 North Road and takes students aged seven to 18. Owner Alex Li says students learn best through practical projects rather than set assignments. Students write code by hand before they are allowed to use AI tools, and must check any AI-generated code themselves. Li says the final review of technology must always be done by people.
Researchers at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands have developed a lightweight tactile sensor that lets small drones navigate when their cameras and lidar cannot work. The sensor uses two nickel-titanium whiskers mounted on a palm-sized drone, which detect contact with nearby walls. The team reduced false readings caused by sensor drift with a correction method. In tests, the drone found a 2.5-foot-wide exit in a small glass-walled room in 90 percent of attempts. The system runs onboard using 34 KB of memory.
Archaeologists have used drone and laser technology to map dense bushland in the NSW Blue Mountains. The survey confirmed six registered Aboriginal rock shelters and identified three previously unlisted sites. The drones used laser pulses to create 3D maps of areas too difficult to reach on foot. Researchers from the University of Sydney and the Australian Museum worked with the Dharug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation on the project. Jacob Bongers said the method could be applied in other regions, with about 10 per cent of the World Heritage listed area surveyed so far.
A false hijack alert from a flight from Corfu briefly suspended operations at Nuremberg Airport in Germany. The Corendon Airlines jet landed safely as planned. The airline said a malfunction in its radio communication system caused the code to be sent, and that no passengers, crew or aircraft were in danger. Police said the pilot could not be reached by radio, which led to several alarm scrambles. Flights later resumed normally. The incident comes amid heightened alert in Germany over drone sightings at airports.
The NSW government is procuring drone detection technology for prisons across the state. The move follows two alleged drone drug smuggling attempts on the south coast within a fortnight. Police arrested a 35-year-old man near South Coast Correctional Centre in Nowra on October 10. The Public Service Association of NSW wants corrections officers to have portable devices that force drones to land. Radio frequency detection and radar have been identified as the preferred technology.
Two rare fin whales have been photographed in Geographe Bay, 220 kilometres south of Perth. The sightings, described as 'incredibly unusual', were unusually close to shore. Researchers say fin whale populations are still recovering from 20th-century whaling, which killed about 700,000 of the species. The whales were spotted by a drone pilot who initially thought he was filming a small blue whale.
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A petition with 2,170 signatures is calling for a 24-hour police presence at Gunnedah Police Station. Councillor Kate McGrath says the town already has round-the-clock policing, but the station is not staffed 24 hours. Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson will present the petition to NSW Parliament, which also requests police drones for the area. Cr McGrath wants to see the results of a drone pilot in Moree before supporting their use in Gunnedah.
