ACT government minister Mick Gentleman has offered internet giant Google his support in helping to set up an office in Canberra, as a subsidiary of Google's holding company steps up drone delivery trials in the capital.
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Mr Gentleman said he made the offer when he met Google co-founder Sergey Brin during a recent trip to California.
"I did offer him an opportunity to set up a base in the ACT for Google," Mr Gentleman told The Canberra Times.
"We know that Google, of course, provide great employment opportunities and great opportunities for career advancement as well.
"We'd like to [take] any opportunity we can to help them, as long as the Canberra community is on board as well."
Google played down any interest in expanding into the capital, with a spokesman referring The Canberra Times to a tweet posted by then-Google Australia managing director Jason Pellegrino in May.
Mr Pellegrino said Google had been overwhelmed by interest from all over Australia, but was focused on its long-term growth in Sydney and its new office in Melbourne.
Mr Gentleman's interest in attracting Google to the ACT comes as a subsidiary of Google's holding company, Alphabet, signalled its desire to continue expanding its drone delivery trials throughout Canberra.
The company, Wing, "graduated" from Alphabet's X research division to become an independent business in July, and has already added to its offering in the Bonython area.
Wing trialled automated drone delivery of Guzman y Gomez and Chemist Warehouse products to customers at Fernleigh Park in Googong and Royalla last year, before expanding into Bonython in 2018.
Bunnings and Jasper and Myrtle Chocolates have since joined the trials.
More than 100 customers in the Bonython area are signed up to receive deliveries from the drones, which fly at 120km/h and can carry up to 1.5 kilograms.
Wing chief executive James Ryan Burgess said Wing had no plans to expand into other Australian cities, and hoped to start trials in other south Canberra suburbs in the coming months.
He said Australia was at the forefront of drone technology, with particularly positive attitudes in the ACT.
"We think this is great technology for all cities, but for now we really want to focus on Canberra and engage with the community before we focus on scaling," Mr Burgess said.
"... Our intention would be to refine the technology and improve the service.
"[Keeping it small in Bonython at the moment] allows us to really engage with people first-hand."
Mr Burgess would not say exactly how many people Wing employed in Canberra, but said it was "a handful" of between five and 10, with others travelling back and forth to California.
Bonython resident Jeremy Hawkes, who placed his first drone delivery order about three weeks ago, said he had enjoyed the convenience.
Mr Hawkes said he had received an order from Guzman y Gomez about four minutes after placing it, saving him 15 or 20 minutes compared to the time it would have taken to travel to the store and return home.
"The longest [turnaround] time has been about eight minutes," he said.
"I've really enjoyed it."
