Queensland Consolidated Acts

YOUTH JUSTICE ACT 1992 - SECT 279A

279A Unlawful use of drones around detention centres

(1) A person (the
"operator" ) must not operate, or attempt to operate, a drone at a detention centre or the land on which the detention centre is located, without reasonable excuse.

Penalty—

Maximum penalty—100 penalty units or 2 years imprisonment.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply if—

(a) the operation of the drone is approved by the chief executive; or

(b) the operator is an officer of a law enforcement agency or emergency service and the drone is being used to assist the officer in carrying out the officer’s functions; or

(c) the operator is acting on behalf of, or under the direction of, a person mentioned in paragraph (b) .

(3) Subsection (1) applies to the operation of a drone regardless of the location of the operator.

(4) In this section—

"at" includes above.

"drone" means a device that is—

(a) capable of flight; and

(b) remotely piloted or able to be programmed to autonomously fly a particular route; and

(c) not capable of transporting a person.

"emergency service" includes—

(a) the Queensland Ambulance Service established under the Ambulance Service Act 1991 , section 3A ; and

(b) the St John Ambulance Australia Queensland Limited; and

(c) Queensland Fire and Rescue established under the Fire Services Act 1990 , section 8 (1) ; and

(d) the State Emergency Service; and

(e) a rural fire brigade.

"officer" , of an emergency service that is the State Emergency Service or a rural fire brigade, includes a member of the State Emergency Service or rural fire brigade.

"rural fire brigade" means a rural fire brigade registered under the Fire Services Act 1990 .

"State Emergency Service" means the State Emergency Service established under the State Emergency Service Act 2024 .