40928 (2026). Tangi Utikere to the Associate Minister of Transport

40928 (2026). Tangi Utikere to the Associate Minister of Transport: When, and on the basis of what advice, if any, was a notification pathway for agricultural drone operations adopted in place of broader reform of Civil Aviation Rule Part 137, which the Ministry for Regulation's aide-mémoire MFR2026-026 of 10 February 2026 identifies as its preferred regulatory pathway?

Hon James Meager: Reform of agricultural drone rules is being progressed as part of the two-year Civil Aviation Rules Update Programme that I announced in April 2026. The Programme comprises 24 priority rule projects selected for their potential to improve aviation safety and security, support economic growth, reduce unnecessary regulatory burden, align with international standards and practices, and enable innovation. A broader review of Part 137 (Agricultural Aircraft Operations) was not included among those priority projects.