Superintendent Chris Nicholson, Commander of NSW Police Aviation Command. Image: Frame from the NSW Police video invitation
Moree residents will have an opportunity to question NSW Police about the town’s POLAIR Remote drone program at a community meeting on Wednesday, November 11.
The meeting will begin at 9am at Moree Plains Shire Council, where police will explain how the drones operate, show footage of their use and discuss the program’s future.
Residents are encouraged to attend, hear directly from police and raise any questions or concerns they may have.
Moree Online News will also attend, and we want to know what questions matter to the community.
Drone trials began in Moree in early January, ahead of the official launch in February. The NSW Government announced a further two-year extension in August.
In a video invitation released on Friday, Superintendent Chris Nicholson, Commander of NSW Police Aviation Command, said the drones had been involved in 206 arrests, locating 133 vehicles and finding 14 missing people.
While police have praised the program’s results, the Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT has questioned the extent of community consultation and raised concerns about surveillance. The Justice and Equity Centre has called for greater transparency about how the drones are used, while the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research has cautioned against attributing Moree’s falling crime rates to the drones alone.
Wednesday’s meeting gives residents an opportunity to hear directly from those responsible for the program and contribute to the discussion about its future.
What do you want to know?
Whether you support the drones, have concerns about privacy or simply want to understand how they work, Moree Online News would like to hear your questions.
You can share them in the comments on our Facebook post or email [email protected].
We’ll take community questions into account when speaking with police and report back on what we learn.
You don’t need to have a complaint or a strong opinion. If there’s something about the drones you don’t understand, we’d like to hear that too.
Meeting details: Wednesday, 11 November 2026, at 9am, Moree Plains Shire Council.
