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NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) will use a “drone-in-a-box” system to monitor natural hazards in the state.
The NPWS has awarded a major tender to Sphere Drones for its HubX mobile drone platform, which will initially be deployed across national parks and reserves including Yiraaldiya, Tugalong, Nattai, Yathong, and Kosciuszko.
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According to Sphere Drones, HubX, which can be mounted on a 4WD-capable trailer, is “engineered for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, enabling seamless drone deployments in rugged and remote areas”. Sphere was one of several drone companies selected for WA Police’s “drone as first responder” program earlier this year, alongside firms such as RocketDNA.
“HubX’s innovative technology will allow NPWS to deploy drones quickly in remote areas, boosting their capability to monitor high-risk zones, prevent bushfires, and conserve endangered wildlife,” said Paris Cockinos, CEO of Sphere Drones.
“Following our success with WA Police, this win reinforces our commitment to providing practical, impactful solutions for public safety and environmental conservation across Australia.”
The tender is part of the NSW government’s $1.89 million Natural Hazards Technology Program, running from January 2024 to June 2025 and including a 12-month pilot phase.
Sphere Drones says HubX will offer operational capabilities such as faster response times to natural hazards such as bushfires; advanced tools to help safeguard biodiversity; and more efficient operation in rugged and remote areas.
“These deployments will allow NPWS to monitor critical areas from a central control centre, significantly enhancing their ability to manage natural hazards, preserve biodiversity, and protect feral-free zones,” the company said.
Firefighters are increasingly looking to drones to monitor wildfires in Australia and overseas, with the NSW RFS earlier this year wrapping up a two-week trial using drones to monitor grass and bushfires in the state’s west, and Australia-made Carbonix drones spotting so-called “zombie fires” in rural areas of Canada.
Emergency services in states such as NSW, Victoria, Queensland, and South Australia have all investigated the use of drones as part of their firefighting capabilities.
Deb Sparkes, at the time head of innovation for the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council, told Australian Aviation in 2022 that the Australian Association of Unmanned Vehicles had discussed using remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) in bushfire detection and suppression following the Black Summer and subsequent royal commission.
“The National Aerial Firefighting Centre put these programs together to look at what the current and potential uses were for our agencies and ask how could we lift that capability?” she said.
“In a factory fire, an RPAS can use thermal imagery to detect hotspots so you can direct your efforts there. For search and rescue, we can throw a drone off a cliff to look for someone, rather than sending someone down on a rope.”
