Commercial Drone Association of New Zealand

The Commercial Drone Association of New Zealand represents operators across every sector of the commercial drone industry — from infrastructure inspection and survey to construction, emergency response, events, and beyond. If you fly commercially in New Zealand, this is your industry home.

Our Purpose

  • Advocacy

    Champion the interests of New Zealand's commercial drone operators across all sectors. We give the industry a unified voice in conversations with regulators, government, and the public — ensuring the rules that govern commercial drone operations are shaped by the people doing the work.

  • Safety

    Promote professional, responsible operations across the full range of commercial drone applications. We work to establish and share practical safety standards that reflect real-world conditions — not just theory — across survey, inspection, construction, events, media, and emerging sectors.

  • Knowledge

    Connect commercial operators with the information, people, and resources they need to do better work. We facilitate knowledge sharing across sectors so that advances in one area of the industry benefit operators across all of them.
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    CDANZ 12 Month Membership

    $398.00 NZD
    $398.00 NZD
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    A CDANZ membership gives commercial drone operators access to industry guidance, regulatory updates, operator resources, peer knowledge, and opportunities to shape the future of the sector. It’s your annual pass to a stronger voice, sharper skills, and a more aligned commercial drone community.

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    Our Objectives

    1. Advocate for policies, regulations, and guidelines that support the sustainable growth of commercial drone operations across all sectors in New Zealand.

    2. Provide a platform for commercial operators to exchange ideas, experience, and proven best practices — whether they're flying survey, inspection, construction, events, media, or emergency response missions.

    3. Work with the CAA and other regulatory bodies to ensure that rules governing commercial drone operations are practical, risk-proportionate, and reflective of how the industry actually operates.

    4. Promote the adoption of emerging technologies and operational methods that improve safety, efficiency, and capability across commercial drone applications.

    5. Deliver training resources, workshops, and guidance that lift the standard of commercial operations across New Zealand.

    6. Represent New Zealand's commercial drone sector in broader industry conversations, including those involving manned aviation, local government, infrastructure owners, and international counterparts.

    Executive Committee

    • Craig Simpson - President

      Craig Simpson is the founder of Aerolab and CEO of DroneTrust, two of New Zealand's leading drone industry companies. With a background spanning off-grid energy, agricultural technology, and drone training and equipment, Craig has spent the past decade building infrastructure for New Zealand's drone sector. He founded CDANZ to give commercial operators across all sectors — not just agriculture — a unified voice in shaping the industry's future.

    • Simon Conroy - Vice President

      Simon brings a career spanning senior IT, analytics, and strategy roles at some of New Zealand's largest organisations, including Spark, Air New Zealand, and Flight Centre. He subsequently founded Decisive, a data agency, and Joots, an innovation consultancy. Simon applies this cross-sector analytical expertise to CDANZ's work on operational standards, data-driven safety frameworks, and industry intelligence — helping commercial operators make better decisions with better information.

    • Peter Conroy - Secretary

      Peter is an experienced executive with a background in commercial strategy, insurance, risk management, and compliance. As Operations Manager at DroneTrust — New Zealand's largest online drone training provider — Peter works daily with commercial operators navigating CAA certification requirements. He brings this on-the-ground regulatory experience to CDANZ's work on compliance frameworks and operational guidance for commercial operators across all sectors.