Defence Aviation Area Regulations

Defence Aviation Area Regulations. Correct as of May 2021. This file shows height constraints on development and activities around Australian Department of Defence Airfields.

Note: This file is a guide only and should not be used for detailed planning. Always refer to the Australian Department Defence for development approval.

Part 11A of the Defence Regulations, 2016 provides a legal framework for controlling activities which may be dangerous to aviation around a number of declared Defence Aviation Areas (DAA).

The Defence Regulations can be downloaded at https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2018C00183.

The Defence Aviation Areas website is https://www.defence.gov.au/id/AviationAreas.asp.

The DAA replaces the Defence (Areas Control) Regulations 1989 (DACR) which were repealed on 25 March 2018 but closely replicate the controls available to Defence under the DACR.

The regulations apply to permanent structures such as buildings and communication towers, and temporary structures such as cranes within approximately 15 kilometres of DAA. Vegetation, including trees and plants used for landscaping, and gas plumes emanating from an exhaust stack are also covered. The regulations also apply to any object hazardous to aircraft or aviation-related communications, navigation or surveillance regardless of whether the DAA height controls are triggered.

Maps attached to each DAA declaration for each declared Defence Aviation Area show the heights at which proposed structures need to be referred to Defence for approval.