Latest news with #FreedomOfInformation
ABC News
2 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Drone deliveries aren't attracting many complaints but experts say that's not a sign of public endorsement
A lack of complaints from the public has been cited as a reason why 'drone delivery' services should be allowed to expand in Australia — but experts say the reason there was just three complaints last year is because the system is so difficult to navigate. Someone who felt spied on while in the bath as drones flew overhead 28 times in just three hours was among the very few complainants who navigated the bureaucratic nightmare to lodge objections to pilot projects for drone delivery above the suburbs. Despite there being an estimated 3 million drones in Australia, in 2024 there were only three complaints about general drone noise to the government department that regulates it. Previously-secret documents show the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) pushed to reduce restrictions and hand-balled monitoring of drone noise to the Department of Infrastructure, which says in general the issue is "difficult to respond to". Noise is just one of the issues. One of Australia's foremost experts in the field, Julia Powles from the University of Western Australia (UWA), says the companies involved in drone delivery pilots want the sky for themselves. "The vision is to architect highway infrastructure across our sky scape," she says. Documents released under the Freedom of Information (FOI) system suggest that around sites where the deliveries are being trialled, the 'highway in the skies' may already be emerging. "I've been sitting in the bath and watched them through the window fly past with direct line of sight," wrote one complainant in Harrison in the ACT, about 15 kilometres north of Parliament House. "This frequent noise is incredibly disruptive and irritating. It also seems excessive!" Commercial services such as Google's Wing promise to deliver hot coffee and fast food from shopping centres to the suburbs. "Enjoy your latte, without the line," it promises. But the documents reveal the difficulty of complaining about drone noise from the services to the appropriate channel. Local and state governments have also been overridden by the Department of Infrastructure, which has taken control of regulation about drones and wants to see expansion in the sector. UWA associate professor Dr Powles says the number of complaints is being used as "a proxy of community tolerance" for drones — she describes it as a "poor metric", and that's probably an understatement. There are an estimated 3 million recreational drone owners in Australia, according to CASA's annual report, with an estimated additional 2.1 million people planning to buy a drone within the next year. Drone delivery trials have been held in the ACT, Victoria and Queensland. But in the first years of operation there was confusion about who was responsible for complaints about noise from the operations. "Do you go to your city council? Do you go to the federal government? Do you go to the state? And actually, the Department of Infrastructure didn't even know that it was responsible in the first instance," Dr Powles says. People trying to complain about a drone, particularly noise, quickly find themselves in a morass of laws and buck-passing: For Dr Powles, the confusing system throws up two problems. "One, how do you even complain? And the second, how do you complain about what the ambition of these companies, which is to be able to operate at a scale that is commercially valuable." She says for the systems to make a profit it will require tens of thousands of drones over Australian cities In 'back-pocket notes' prepared ahead of a Senate Estimates hearing, the Department of Infrastructure says the increase in drones and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) "may lead to greater impacts on the community (e.g. noise, security and privacy concerns), which need to be managed appropriately to enable the positive social and economic benefits". In response to questions from the ABC, the department says it "works with a range of stakeholders to ensure community feedback about drone delivery operations is captured and considered, even where complaints are not made directly to the department". Wing, which is owned by Google's parent company, did not respond to a request for comment. The documents bear out the difficulty of making complaints about small devices travelling through the sky at high speed, which disperse noise over a great distance. For example, the City of Logan — the fastest growing area of Brisbane and home to almost 400,000 people — received zero complaints about the drone trial for the six months from October 2023. The Department of Infrastructure logged nine complaints about noise from different trial sites, taking the total to 98 since 2020. Last year it received three complaints about general drone noise. Not that it matters, because the department struggles to do anything about it. "General noise complaints are difficult to respond to," the Department of Infrastructure wrote, in an internal document about the 'drone noise framework'. Responding to the bathtub complaint mentioned at the top of this report, a Department of Infrastructure staffer [whose name is redacted in the documents] apologises and suggests it is unlikely that Wing was responsible for the noise because "Wing has ceased its delivery service in the ACT". They suggest it is more likely a drone used for construction or emergency services, saying they are a "critical element in almost every aspect of emergency operations, e.g. policing". "It is possible that the drone you heard was not Wing's and unfortunately it is not possible for us, based on the information you provided, to confirm the purpose of the drone flights you saw." But in subsequent emails, it becomes clear the drones were from Wing. "I can confirm we were flying at the times noted, so it's likely the noise feedback is regarding our drones," a Wing staff member emailed. "We're going to review the routing in that area and explore adjustments that will likely reduce some of the overflight the resident reached out about." Jake Goldenfein is a law and technology scholar at Melbourne Law School and an chief investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society. "It's a very unusual situation where people would be complaining about noise directly to a federal department," he says. "If you're going to complain about noise, you would complain to the state level Environment Protection Authority (EPA) or the state police or your local council." Dr Goldenfein says the Department of Infrastructure, which has taken control of drone regulation, wants to see expansion in the sector. "The regulation is trying to build a new market for drone delivery services," he says. "It needs to do that in a way that takes into account what the industry actors are capable of doing and what they want. "So yes, industry absolutely has a big say in what the law looks like when it comes to these kinds of technology products." In email correspondence regarding noise approvals, CASA outlines a meeting between it, Wing and the department. CASA wants "further detail" on how Wing is engaging with operators such as other airfields and for the company to establish "agreements/understanding with the operators to communicate and deconflict". But when it asked about interactions between the company and the department "with regards to noise considerations for Melbourne operations" the discussions ended with a question — "is this a federal or local consideration with regards to existing operating restrictions?" No answer was forthcoming in the documents. But the agency was clear — it's not us. Responding to questions, CASA reiterated that it has "no role in noise" regarding drones and is a safety regulator that doesn't touch on privacy or environmental issues. However it does host educational resources and, if followed, its safety rules would work to reduce drone noise. In 2024 CASA laid 12 fines, of between $825 and $1,565, to people who breached laws concerning drones, such as flying over populated or prohibited areas. Responding to questions about drone delivery services, a spokesperson for the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts said operators are required to provide the department with information about noise complaints as a condition of their approval. "[Additionally] before a new drone delivery operation starts in an area, the department reaches out to the affected local council(s) to inform them of the department's role and to request that they forward any noise related complaints to us. Dr Goldenfein says by drawing focus to the issue of drone noise we're missing the larger picture, because they will get quieter. "Noise kind of became the only thing that communities could complain about. It was the only thing that there was a clear process by which communities could engage with," he says. He describes the shape of the delivery trials as "quite strategic" as an effort to channel public concerns about drones to be simply about noise. As Julia Powles reflects, there are bigger issues on the horizon. "I think there are very few people who'd say that what we really need is to elevate the problems of our terrestrial traffic to the sky."
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Councillor welcomes watchdog's investigation over Bradford Live settlement term
A COUNCILLOR has welcomed the Information Commissioner's Office investigation into Bradford Council's refusal to share details of the agreed settlement terms between Bradford Live and NEC Group. Last September, it was revealed that the Birmingham-based NEC Group had quit the £50.5 million taxpayer-funded Bradford Live project. At the time, a joint statement from Bradford Council and the NEC Group said: "Bradford Council and the NEC Group have agreed settlement terms to release NEC from the contract that was in place for them to operate the venue." The T&A subsequently asked the Council questions about the agreed settlement terms under the Freedom of Information Act - but the authority repeatedly declined to provide answers. The T&A therefore lodged a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office in January, believing that the public has a right to know more about the agreed settlement terms. This week, the Information Commissioner's Office confirmed it had launched an investigation over the matter. Councillor Rebecca Poulsen, leader of the Conservative group on Bradford Council, welcomed the news. She told the T&A: "My colleagues and I have been calling for transparency regarding this site for several years now, particularly since it became apparent that the final cost to various taxpayer-funded budgets was double the original budget at over £50m. "Specifically in relation to the exit settlement for the NEC Group, we fully understand that there was a need for non-disclosure during and immediately after the negotiations to terminate the agreement, but due to the passage of time, it seems unlikely that the release of the information continues to pose any real threat to the commercial interests of either organisation." A Bradford Council spokesperson said in response: "We welcome the news that the Information Commissioner's Office has now assigned a case officer, in fact as a Council we have been pressing for this for some time. "We have nothing to hide but it is for the Information Commissioner's Office to determine what can be published. "Local political party leaders know the legal position and why the Council can't say anything further on the matter - they too are bound by commercial confidentiality having been briefed on the matter. "Bradford Live was supported by the people of Bradford and saved by the Council - it is a world-class venue with a quality operator in the driving seat. "We're delighted to have done this for the people of Bradford district." A new operator, Trafalgar Entertainment, was appointed for Bradford Live in February.
CNN
22-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
5 things to know for May 22: Embassy shooting, Budget cuts, Trump-Ramaphosa meeting, Qatar jet, Police reform
Should the Department of Government Efficiency be required to release public records under the Freedom of Information Act, or can it keep such files hidden due to executive privilege? That's the question the Trump administration wants the Supreme Court to decide. What is known is that in the past four months, DOGE has fired more than 120,000 federal workers, slashed agency budgets, accessed sensitive computer systems and cut billions in research grants, prompting a wave of federal lawsuits. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. Get '5 Things' in your inbox If your day doesn't start until you're up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to your new favorite morning fix. Sign up here for the '5 Things' newsletter. Two Israeli Embassy staff members were shot and killed while standing outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, last night. Authorities say the suspected gunman was observed pacing back and forth outside the museum before opening fire on a group of people. He then entered the building and waited to be detained. Police said the 30-year-old man showed officers where to find the weapon and chanted 'Free Free Palestine' while in custody. The victims, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, were a young couple who soon planned to get engaged, according to Israel's ambassador to the US. 'I am devastated by the scenes in Washington D.C.,' Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a statement on X. 'This is a despicable act of hatred, of antisemitism, which has claimed the lives of two young employees of the Israeli embassy.' The House voted early this morning to pass President Donald Trump's sweeping tax and spending cuts package, a major victory for the president and Speaker Mike Johnson after GOP leaders won over key holdouts. The legislation still faces major challenges ahead. It will next go to the Senate, where Republicans in the chamber have signaled they plan to make their own changes to it. Although all of the details about the massive legislative package have not yet been released, it does include: Nearly $1 trillion in cuts from Medicaid and food stamps Work requirements for Medicaid starting at the end of 2026 Raising the debt ceiling by $4 trillion Spending $150 billion on defense programs Limiting judges' power to hold the Trump administration in contempt Phasing out Biden-era energy tax credits sooner than planned Increasing the state and local tax deduction Making trillions of dollars of income tax breaks permanent Allocating $45 billion to build new immigration detention facilities Allowing certain taxpayers to deduct income from tips on tax returns The Congressional Budget Office said the bill will increase the budget deficit by $3.8 trillion between 2026-2034. Fans of President Trump's reality TV show 'The Apprentice' will likely not be surprised by how he's been treating world leaders in televised Oval Office meetings. In a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump and his staffers berated him for not wearing a suit and for not thanking Trump enough for the money the US has given to the war effort. When Trump met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, he went on a tirade about defending Canada militarily and then told the press to leave before Carney could respond. In his latest Oval Office event this week, Trump ambushed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa — who once served as Nelson Mandela's chief negotiator during talks to end White minority rule — with false claims about White South African farmers being victims of genocide. For his part, Ramaphosa pushed back gently whenever he could, but he didn't raise his voice or show anger, displaying his decades of negotiation experience. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar that President Trump plans to use as the next Air Force One. The controversial transfer has sparked a political furor, with both Democrats and Republicans opposing the luxury jet on ethical grounds. While details about its transfer have not yet been released, Trump told reporters on Wednesday that Qatar was 'giving the United States Air Force a jet, okay, and it's a great thing.' Earlier this week, sources said it was the Trump administration that had first approached Qatar about acquiring the Boeing 747. It's also unknown how much it'll cost to strip down the entire aircraft for surveillance and safety checks and then retrofit it to the required security specifications. The Trump administration is moving to dismiss federal oversight agreements with several major US police departments. The agreements, called consent decrees, are used as a monitoring system at police departments where the Justice Department has found a pattern of misconduct. In court filings on Wednesday, the DOJ asked judges in Minnesota and Kentucky to dismiss the consent decrees reached with the police departments in Louisville and Minneapolis. They were approved by a federal judge and enacted following the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor and the police killing of George Floyd. Double-checking the calendarMemorial Day weekend may mark the unofficial start of summer, but the Northeast and parts of the mid-Atlantic will be experiencing a rare May nor'easter. Some areas of New Hampshire and Vermont may even see snow. Rare side effect to be highlighted on vaccine packagingThe FDA is now requiring some Covid-19 vaccines to use expanded warning labels detailing a small risk for myocarditis. The vaccines' old labels already provided a warning about the heart condition. No NFL ban for controversial 'tush push'The nearly unstoppable running play was used to great success by the Philadelphia Eagles last year. Manny Pacquiao: I'm backThe Filipino will come out of retirement this summer to face Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight championship. In 2019, Pacquiao became the oldest welterweight world champion in history at the age of 40. She knew him whenPeruvian TikToker Luciana Marquez traveled to Rome last year to meet a family friend. They recorded a TikTok video. Now, he's Pope Leo XIV. 10That's how many minutes a Lufthansa flight carrying 205 people went without a pilot last year after the co-pilot fainted while he was alone in the cockpit. 'These staff cuts and the potential budget cuts make the United States more at risk for a tsunami and earthquake, and they will have devastating impacts for coastal populations and the US economy.' — Corina Allen, who, like thousands of other probationary federal employees, was recently fired from her job as a manager at NOAA's National Weather Service Tsunami Program. Check your local forecast here>>> Oh baby, baby! Britney Spears' album, 'Oops! … I Did It Again,' turns 25 this year. To celebrate, Sony Music will release an expanded edition.
CNN
22-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
5 things to know for May 22: Embassy shooting, Budget cuts, Trump-Ramaphosa meeting, Qatar jet, Police reform
Should the Department of Government Efficiency be required to release public records under the Freedom of Information Act, or can it keep such files hidden due to executive privilege? That's the question the Trump administration wants the Supreme Court to decide. What is known is that in the past four months, DOGE has fired more than 120,000 federal workers, slashed agency budgets, accessed sensitive computer systems and cut billions in research grants, prompting a wave of federal lawsuits. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. Get '5 Things' in your inbox If your day doesn't start until you're up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to your new favorite morning fix. Sign up here for the '5 Things' newsletter. Two Israeli Embassy staff members were shot and killed while standing outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, last night. Authorities say the suspected gunman, who was observed pacing back and forth outside the museum before opening fire on a group of people. He then entered the building and waited to be detained. Police said the 30-year-old man showed officers where to find the weapon and chanted 'Free Free Palestine' while in custody. The victims, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, were a young couple who soon planned to get engaged, according to Israel's ambassador to the US. 'I am devastated by the scenes in Washington D.C.,' Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a statement on X. 'This is a despicable act of hatred, of antisemitism, which has claimed the lives of two young employees of the Israeli embassy.' The House voted 217 to 212 overnight to clear a key procedural hurdle and bring President Donald Trump's domestic policy bill to the floor for a full vote. House Speaker Mike Johnson is determined to pass the bill before Memorial Day, which has prompted weeks of difficult negotiations within the GOP and a visit from the president to tell Republicans to get on board. Although all of the details about the massive legislative package have not yet been released, it does include: Nearly $1 trillion in cuts from Medicaid and food stamps Work requirements for Medicaid starting at the end of 2026 Raising the debt ceiling by $4 trillion Spending $150 billion on defense programs Limiting judges' power to hold the Trump administration in contempt Phasing out Biden-era energy tax credits sooner than planned Increasing the state and local tax deduction Making trillions of dollars of income tax breaks permanent Allocating $45 billion to build new immigration detention facilities Allowing certain taxpayers to deduct income from tips on tax returns The Congressional Budget Office said the bill will increase the budget deficit by $3.8 trillion between 2026-2034. Fans of President Trump's reality TV show 'The Apprentice' will likely not be surprised by how he's been treating world leaders in televised Oval Office meetings. In a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump and his staffers berated him for not wearing a suit and for not thanking Trump enough for the money the US has given to the war effort. When Trump met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, he went on a tirade about defending Canada militarily and then told the press to leave before Carney could respond. In his latest Oval Office event this week, Trump ambushed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa — who once served as Nelson Mandela's chief negotiator during talks to end White minority rule — with false claims about White South African farmers being victims of genocide. For his part, Ramaphosa pushed back gently whenever he could, but he didn't raise his voice or show anger, displaying his decades of negotiation experience. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar that President Trump plans to use as the next Air Force One. The controversial transfer has sparked a political furor, with both Democrats and Republicans opposing the luxury jet on ethical grounds. While details about its transfer have not yet been released, Trump told reporters on Wednesday that Qatar was 'giving the United States Air Force a jet, okay, and it's a great thing.' Earlier this week, sources said it was the Trump administration that had first approached Qatar about acquiring the Boeing 747. It's also unknown how much it'll cost to strip down the entire aircraft for surveillance and safety checks and then retrofit it to the required security specifications. The Trump administration is moving to dismiss federal oversight agreements with several major US police departments. The agreements, called consent decrees, are used as a monitoring system at police departments where the Justice Department has found a pattern of misconduct. In court filings on Wednesday, the DOJ asked judges in Minnesota and Kentucky to dismiss the consent decrees reached with the police departments in Louisville and Minneapolis. They were approved by a federal judge and enacted following the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor and the police killing of George Floyd. Double-checking the calendarMemorial Day weekend may mark the unofficial start of summer, but the Northeast and parts of the mid-Atlantic will be experiencing a rare May nor'easter. Some areas of New Hampshire and Vermont may even see snow. Rare side effect to be highlighted on vaccine packagingThe FDA is now requiring some Covid-19 vaccines to use expanded warning labels detailing a small risk for myocarditis. The vaccines' old labels already provided a warning about the heart condition. No NFL ban for controversial 'tush push'The nearly unstoppable running play was used to great success by the Philadelphia Eagles last year. Manny Pacquiao: I'm backThe Mexican-American boxer will come out of retirement this summer to face Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight championship. In 2019, Pacquiao became the oldest welterweight world champion in history at the age of 40. She knew him whenPeruvian TikToker Luciana Marquez traveled to Rome last year to meet a family friend. They recorded a TikTok video. Now, he's Pope Leo XIV. 10That's how many minutes a Lufthansa flight carrying 205 people went without a pilot last year after the co-pilot fainted while he was alone in the cockpit. 'These staff cuts and the potential budget cuts make the United States more at risk for a tsunami and earthquake, and they will have devastating impacts for coastal populations and the US economy.' — Corina Allen, who, like thousands of other probationary federal employees, was recently fired from her job as a manager at NOAA's National Weather Service Tsunami Program. Check your local forecast here>>> Oh baby, baby! Britney Spears' album, 'Oops! … I Did It Again,' turns 25 this year. To celebrate, Sony Music will release an expanded edition.
BBC News
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Herefordshire's highest speeding drivers revealed
Herefordshire's only fixed speed camera has caught thousands of drivers over the past two on the A645 Belmont Road in south-west Hereford, the lone camera has caught nearly five speeding motorists a day, West Mercia Police said in response to a Freedom of Information April 2023 and March 2024, the camera snapped 1,867 vehicles exceeding the 30mph speed these, 1,650 drivers were offered a speed awareness course option and 81 immediately given the £100 fixed penalty and three points on their licence. It appears that some drivers declined the speeding course option, as the final number of offenders who accepted the fixed penalty was recently in the 2024/25 financial year there was a slight drop to 1,643 speeding offences detected by the camera, leading to 340 offenders so far accepting the fixed fastest drivers snapped by the camera in each of the two years were emergency vehicles: a West Midlands ambulance at 73mph, and a West Mercia police car doing asked about the sums raised from the penalties issued to other motorists, the information officer said: "We do not hold the information on fines paid as these go to central government."This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
