Australia’s largest drone operators are increasingly turning to digital platforms to manage regulatory complexity and support national-scale operations, with Australian Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle Service adopting Web Manuals to automate compliance across a fleet of more than 300 drones.
Australian UAV Service, part of the Surf Life Saving New South Wales family, delivers drone capability to support coastal safety, emergency response and industrial operations. Its missions include marine search and rescue, shark and wildlife surveillance, aerial monitoring and data collection along the NSW coastline, as well as research and mapping activities.
The organisation conducts around 43,000 drone flights each year, operating through a workforce of approximately 250 paid staff and 400 volunteers. As operational tempo and regulatory demands increased, Australian UAV Service identified the need for a more structured and scalable approach to managing operational and compliance documentation.
Australia’s uncrewed aviation sector is among the most tightly regulated globally. Drones weighing more than two kilograms fall under Civil Aviation Safety Regulations Part 101 and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s Manual of Standards, requiring operators to maintain detailed, current and auditable documentation. As operators move toward advanced capabilities such as beyond visual line of sight and remote operations, documentation control has become a critical enabler of compliance.
By adopting Web Manuals, Australian UAV Service has centralised its standard operating procedures, operations manual and regulatory documentation within a single digital platform. The system provides controlled version management, full traceability and a single source of truth, ensuring pilots and staff always have access to the latest approved information, regardless of location or role.
Web Manuals director of operations APAC Emil Ahlgren said operators of this scale face a level of regulatory complexity that demands absolute control over documentation, particularly as the industry moves into more advanced operational models.
Surf Life Saving NSW chief remote pilot Oliver Heys said the transition addressed growing challenges associated with managing multiple document revisions and regulatory submissions using traditional tools. He said moving to a digital platform simplified compliance management while supporting operational growth.
Heys said drone organisations are often more digitally advanced than traditional crewed aviation, allowing them to adopt new systems quickly without the constraints of legacy processes. He said the flexibility of the platform, combined with comprehensive training, enabled a smooth transition for the organisation.
For the drone sector, the move highlights how digital compliance and document control are becoming foundational to scaling uncrewed operations safely and efficiently. As large operators expand into complex missions across emergency response, research and industrial applications, platforms that enable audit-ready compliance are emerging as a key driver of national capability and growth.
