Council wins 2024 Risk Management AVCRM Drone Competition

Published on 05 November 2024

Photo: Liam McGrath (GIS Officer - Bellingen Shire Council), Chris Clark (Chief Operating Officer AVCRM), Mark Griffioen (General Manager – Bellingen Shire Council), Mark Spry (Regional Risk Manager at Statewide Mutual)

Bellingen Shire Council is proud to announce that it has been named the Major Prize winner of the 2024 Risk Management AVCRM Drone Competition.

This prestigious competition through Statewide Mutual highlights innovative uses of drone technology to improve operations and safety across local government organisations.

Council’s submission, titled “A Vision for the Future”, was selected as the winning entry, earning a significant prize package valued at $24,754.

This package includes:

• AVCRM/D1 Store Mavic 3 Enterprise Drone ($6,049)
• 2 x Aviassist Premier CASA Remote Pilot Training Courses (RePL) ($6,000)
• Chief Remote Pilot Training ($750)
• AVCRM Remote Operators Certificate Package ($3,800)
• Starter Plan: Trendspek’s 3D and 2D Model Processing and Asset Management system (100GP Processing) ($5,990)
• First-year membership as a Silver SME Member of the Australian Association for Uncrewed Systems, with an invitation to the Annual Industry Conference and Gala dinner in 2025 ($2,165)

The competition called for submissions outlining how drone technology could be used to address current organisational challenges and improve operations. Council’s winning submission outlined a strategic vision for integrating drone technology into its operations to enhance worker safety, improve asset management, and pave the way for a more efficient and proactive approach to serving the community.

The entry was developed as part of Council’s ongoing efforts through the Work Health & Safety (WH&S) Committee to ensure the safe and compliant utilisation of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) within its activities. The submission highlighted the potential to expand drone applications, demonstrating a forward-thinking approach to adopting new technology to meet the evolving needs of the Bellingen Shire.

“This is a great outcome for our Council as by utilising drone technology will assist us in addressing some of our current organisational challenges and improve our overall operations,” said Bellingen Shire Council General Manager, Mark Griffioen.

“The acquisition of this technology, combined with comprehensive training and industry mentorship, will enable us to address pressing challenges more effectively, improve the safety of our workers, and continue to deliver important services to our community.”

Mark Spry, Regional Risk Manager at Statewide Mutual, congratulated Bellingen Shire Council on winning the 2024 Risk Management AVCRM Drone Competition Major Prize.

“Hosting the AVCRM Competition for our members is always a great experience,” he said. “This package will give Bellingen Shire the opportunity to improve their asset management inspections and environmental monitoring whilst improving worker safety. 

“The data collected and 3D imaging will save Council resources and drive better decisions and outcomes.”