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Aerial markers installed via drone at Lake St Clair

5 May 2023

Aerial markers installed via drone at Lake St Clair

Ausgrid recently installed aerial markers using drone technology in the Lake St Clair region to improve paraglider and hang glider safety.

Following a request from Newcastle Paragliding Club and Newcastle Hang Gliding Club, Ausgrid installed aerial markers across a 1.1 kilometre span of powerlines in the Lake St Clair region to increase the safety of local air users. 

Lake St Clair is a popular paragliding and hang gliding location in the Hunter Valley with roughly 100 hang gliders, and 250 paragliders flying there each year.

We’re proud to have been able to work with Newcastle Paragliding Club and Newcastle Hang Gliding Club to increase the safety of our community and network assets by installing aerial markers in Lake St Clair.

Executive General Manager of Asset Management, Junayd Hollis.

“Installing aerial markers with drone technology means these works can be completed in short timeframes without significant impact to our customers. Keeping our customers safe is our number one priority, and we’re passionate about supporting our communities by continuing to increase the safety of our assets”, Mr Hollis concluded.

Secretary of Newcastle Paragliding Club, Brad Patfield, said, “The Newcastle Paragliding Club and the Newcastle Hang Gliding Club, both who have enjoyed flying Lake St Clair for many years, are all excited and very appreciative of Ausgrid’s work efforts to get the markers installed at Lake St Clair.  Further to that we have many visiting pilots from Sydney and Queensland that will utilise this site and this will make it even safer than before".

The flying community is excited that Ausgrid has gone out of their way to help our sport be safer.

Secretary of Newcastle Paragliding Club, Brad Patfield.

If you have questions about potential safety programs in your local community, you can reach out to Ausgrid’s contact centre on 13 13 65.