Why was Canberra, a leafy and largely suburban city of 400,000 people, picked by a multinational tech giant as a testing ground for its drone delivery service?
Wing, a subsidiary of Google/Alphabet, has been trialing delivery drones in and around Canberra since 2017.
Three years ago it set up a permanent base in the city's north. The drones now deliver to seven suburbs.
The service recently partnered with Coles but most merchants it works with are Canberran restaurants and cafes.
People that are not Wing customers are being expected to give up peace and quiet in their household so that someone else can order a cup of coffee delivered to their house.
- Rebecca Marks, North Canberran
But there's been push back to the new technology in particular when it comes to the noise.
And it raises questions over the lack of regulation around drones and who is best placed to manage our skies.
Do you have a story to share? Get in touch: voice@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Laura Carolina Corrigan
Canberra Times producer with a background in news and podcasts.
Canberra Times producer with a background in news and podcasts.
Tom Melville
Originally from Canberra, Tom Melville worked for the BBC in the UK and as a freelancer in Tunisia before coming to ACM. He is the host of ACM's national podcast Voice of Real Australia. urlgeni.us/VORAPod
Originally from Canberra, Tom Melville worked for the BBC in the UK and as a freelancer in Tunisia before coming to ACM. He is the host of ACM's national podcast Voice of Real Australia. urlgeni.us/VORAPod
