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The Youth Justice Coalition’s Working Group on Proactive Policing and Surveillance (YJC Working Group) made a submission to the NSW Parliament Committee inquiry into the Human Rights Bill 2025. The Working Group members are the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT), Just Reinvest NSW, the Justice and Equity Centre, Mounty Aboriginal Youth & Community Services and Redfern Legal Centre.
In this submission, the YJC Working Group raises concerns about the human rights implications of the NSW Police PolAir Remote drone trial in Moree, which began in January 2026. The three broad concerns are:
- the lack of meaningful community consultation prior to the trial, or as part of the 3-month review of the trial;
- the limited and inconsistent public information about how the drones are being used; and
- the lack of clarity as to whether existing laws properly regulate the use of police drones.
The submission highlights the potential for intrusion on people’s right to privacy and heightened surveillance of the Aboriginal community and young people in Moree.
The expansion of Police use of drones is a compelling example of why a Human Rights Act is needed. A Human Rights Act would provide safeguards to protect people’s rights and ensure a trial of this kind was developed in consultation with the community.
The YJC Working Group recommends the introduction of a Human Rights Act in NSW to provide a clearer statement of rights for communities in the state and to ensure communities’ voices are heard in decisions that affect them.
