HumeLink West joint-venture partners, CPB Contractors and UGL, have partnered with Skyports Drone Services to deliver remote drone operations on Transgrid's transmission project.
This marks the first time a CIMIC Group project in Australia has been authorised to conduct remote drone operations by aviation regulator CASA.
In providing specialist expertise, Skyports Drone Services - as part of ACS Group - has highlighted the One Team culture of the group which enables project teams to integrate resouces, capability and innovation for the best possible outcome.
HumeLink West already uses drones in extended visual line of sight (EVLOS) operations, with pilots and support crews positioned in the field to maintain eyesight of the drone. Current EVLOS operations include aerial stringing of transmission towers.
A step change
Remote operations are a step change, introducing beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) capability through “drone in a box” technology. The drone is permanently housed on site in a secure, weatherproof box and can be launched on demand.
While the setup is typically connected to mains power for re-charging in downtime, there is scope for installing solar panels to provide an off-the-grid option for more challenging locations. Every three months, a service visit is made to maintain the system and keep it at peak performance.
Flights are controlled from a remote operations centre in Lane Cove, Sydney, using secure communications and live video feeds — meaning the drone is on site, but the pilot is not.
Remotely operated drones can navigate difficult terrain, active construction zones with heavy machinery, and variable weather conditions, all from a controlled environment hundreds of kilometres away.
A permanently deployed DJI Dock 2 at the Maragle substation construction site flies automated surveys every two weeks, remotely piloted from Skyports' Remote Operations Centre in Lane Cove.
Survey data captured during each flight is processed through DroneDeploy, a reality capture platform, that produces detailed 2D and 3D site models while tracking changes over time.
These digital outputs provide HumeLink West’s construction teams with an accurate, continually updated view of the project progress, enabling earlier identification of issues, more informed decision-making and improved project delivery.
Better decisions can be made through:
- faster and more frequent inspections with less time mobilising to site
- consistency of standardised flight plans and repeatable data capture
- superior data quality, including high-resolution imagery and mapping
HumeLink West Project Director, Tim Burns said:
“On a project of this scale, you need reliable, up-to-date information that helps you make decisions with confidence. Skyports' remote drone surveys are giving our construction teams a clear, consistent picture of what's happening across the site, allowing us to track progress more effectively, respond to issues sooner and keep work moving. Just as importantly, being able to capture that data remotely means fewer people are working in active construction areas, helping improve safety”
Alex Brown, CEO, Skyports Drone Services, said:
"HumeLink West demonstrates how advanced drone operations are transforming the way major Australian infrastructure projects are delivered. As one of only a small number of operators in Australia authorised to conduct these types of BVLOS drone operations, we're providing customers with a more intelligent, safer and cost-effective way of monitoring the construction of some of the country's most important infrastructure projects."
The deployment has been made possible through Skyports’ Broad Area BVLOS Drone Approval, issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).
This allows Skyports to self-authorise BVLOS operations across eligible remote and sparsely populated areas, significantly reducing deployment time while expanding the scale and efficiency of commercial drone operations.
