Canberrans are among the most enthusiastic adopters of new technology, often at the forefront of inventions that promise to streamline or otherwise improve our lives.
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As new technology comes along inevitably there are those who either don't like it or are negatively impacted by it. The difficulty for legislators lies in working out whether those complaints are legitimate, and if so how significant they are. And in our age of social media, nimbyist complaints can seem louder than they really are.
But that doesn't mean that people who raise legitimate concerns shouldn't be listened to.
The delivery drone company, Wing, has applied to extend its licence to fly in Canberra's north until early next year. If granted, the company would be able to keep operating before the introduction of drone noise regulations.
It's true that the company which is linked to Google has been working closely with the federal regulators of air-space but it seems that this does not include the regulation of noise.
Before giving the full green light to Wing, this question of who exactly regulates noise by drones needs to be clarified - if it can be.
In December, a report commissioned by Wing raised the possibility of more than 10,000 drone flights a day over the ACT when - and if - the service is fully developed.
Ten thousand flights a day represents 10,000 households benefitting from the convenience of deliveries to their door, and deliveries not being made by using global warming petrol engines.
Drone flights take traffic off the road but raise different problems for those under the flight paths.
Certainly, in the trial in Bonython, there was significant opposition on the grounds of noise.
Wing itself changed the design of the drones to make them quieter in an attempt to address community concern.
But somebody needs to take control of the regulation of the noise which drones make. There are three bodies which might qualify: the ACT government, the federal Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development.
An inquiry rumbling through a bureaucracy for years could be fatal to the exciting drone project in which Canberra leads the world.
CASA is primarily concerned with safety in the air. Local noise regulations are not its usual remit. And the ACT government may not have the powers to regulate noise made by aircraft (which drones are).
It seems that the clumsily titled Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development does have powers under the Air Navigation (Aircraft Noise) Regulations 2018.
These powers need to be examined and applied - and quickly. New technology needs speed - miss the wave and it's gone. An inquiry rumbling through a bureaucracy for years could be fatal to the drone project in which Canberra leads the world.
In 1946, two farmers in the United States complained that newfangled jet liners flying over their farm were trespassing. Under the law at the time, their property reached to "an indefinite extent, upwards". The new technology of big passenger aircraft and existing property law were in conflict.
Fortunately, a wise court recognised this and changed the law. There was clarification and planes could fly over the land. A fantastic new industry was enabled. It may be that new technology now needs new law.
But what everybody in Canberra badly needs first is clarification.