Its another usefull tool to get vision without great expense and enhance a story.
NINE used one at Christmas Island (A refugee 'processing' centre) after the predicable refusal of entry at the gate - even though the Canberra office had okayed the visit.
What I love is the sheer over reaction of the red tape merchants involved and the bureaucrats who get hot under the collar when they are busted doing something not quite right.
"its a prohibited airspace" was the comment from one (Oz only has ONE prohibited airspace, and thats at the Pine Gap CIA satellite base) "Illegal" was another... but no laws were broken.
Its the same sort of reaction I shake my head at when, like yesterday, filming a major wildfire, the idiot firefighter-in-a-suit said the news helo was "fanning the fire".
How? he was on the smoke side of the blaze, and above 500ft. His rotorwash would not have been felt, and if it was, it would have blown the fire back on itself.
Knee jerk reactions based on ignorance, a lack of common sense, and pig headedness.
Bring on the Drone. It can make a news story just great, when its too dangerous to be there in person, even a hundred metres away.