A "disruptive" company comes in, privatising public space and wanting to use public resources. Steam-rolling over community concerns, it thumbs its nose at democracy by making sure it has set up shop before governments have a chance to catch up. By the time the issues become widely understood, it's that much harder for governments to regulate.

And what a disruptive company we have here, with Project Wing. The drones that have been over Bonython in recent months have been driving people around the bend with their noise. People who moved to Canberra in part because of the quiet suddenly find themselves living under a flight path. Birds and other wildlife, which make Canberra's suburbs so special to live in, are being scared away. And we have no idea what's being done with the private information this Google-owned corporation is collecting as it flies over homes, filming as it goes.

This isn't about being a technophobe – not at all. Most of the people complaining about Project Wing are, like me, involved in online communities of all kinds, use smartphones to stay constantly connected, find our way to new places using GPS mapping services, and celebrate the way technology can improve our lives. Drones can, of course, play a vital role in emergency services. They can help with conservation efforts. They can assist with siting of solar panels, and so much more.

But the speed of technological development doesn't mean we can abandon the important process of making well-thought-out decisions about our common future. Just because we can do something doesn't necessarily mean we should. When a development will have major impacts on the lives of a large number of people, we need to make the decision about it together, making sure evidence is collected and people's voices are heard. It's called democracy.

The idea that Project Wing would announce acquisition of a permanent site, and the expansion into a whole new area of Canberra, just days after the Legislative Assembly has established an inquiry into the trial shows contempt for the community's wishes and concerns.

This is far from the only example of the privatisation of public space going on in Canberra that residents are troubled by.

One of the most obvious in recent times has been the expansion of advertising in public space, which has been held off by a concerted campaign and public outcry. Chief Minister Andrew Barr clearly thought he was being uncontroversial when he suggested that our city's stringent controls on billboards could be relaxed. But the Assembly's inquiry into the idea saw the largest number of submissions in the Assembly's history flying in, with an astonishing 96 per cent of them firmly opposed to the idea.

Because the government was clearly sceptical that these submissions were representative of community feeling, the Green Institute commissioned a poll to test it. We found that a full 90 per cent of Canberrans feel there is enough, or already too much, advertising in public spaces across the city. Remarkably, 48 per cent say there is too much.

The poll also found that 69 per cent of Canberrans agree or strongly agree that advertising reduces the quality of public space, 71 per cent agree that advertising benefits large corporations over small business, and 78 per cent feel that Canberra's relatively advertising-free nature makes it a more pleasant place to live than other cities.

There's an obvious parallel here between advertising and drones. People don't like companies coming in and privatising public space, whether it's streetscapes or the skies above their heads. They cherish the quality of life we have in Canberra, which has a long history of prioritising public good over corporate profit. They clearly want their voices heard when decisions about our common future are made, and are unhappy with government helping corporations and sidelining good democratic process.

That goes for drones, for advertising and for development at a local level. It applies equally to coal and gas companies setting national climate policy, the banks lobbying against regulation despite the findings of the royal commission, and so much more.

Democracy is important. Canberrans know that better than most. We need to cherish it, and we need to practise it. The drones might seem like small fry, but this is as good a place as any to demand it.

We should press pause on any further expansion for drone deliveries until the community has had its say.

Tim Hollo is executive director of the Green Institute and Greens candidate for the federal seat of Canberra.