Google’s ‘Wing’ Drone Lands in Queensland

Queenslanders will be among the first in the world to have their groceries delivered by drone, after the Palaszczuk government inked a deal with Google drone company Wing.

The flying delivery service will be landing in south east Queensland via Logan, which will be the first city to host Wing in the sunshine state.

Takeaway food, hot coffee and medication weighing up to 1.5kg will be delivered to the doorstep of Logan homes from as early as September, innovation minister Kate Jones said.

Jones entered into a partnership with Wing — an offshoot of Google’s parent company Alphabet — during a trade mission the United State in June.

The minister claimed the technology will help ease traffic congestion, increase access to goods and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Wing has the tick of approval from aviation regulator CASA, which has already facilitated the drone delivery service for world-first trials in Canberra.

The trial was rolled out to about 100 homes in Crace, Palmerston and Franklin in Canberra in April this year.

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Wing’s Australian head of operations Terrance Bouldin-Johnson said the company was teaming up with local Logan businesses to launch the service.

“Wing allows customers to order a range of items such as fresh bread, hot coffee or food items on our mobile app, and have them delivered directly to their homes by drone in minutes.

“Whether you’re a parent who forgot to pick up fresh bread for your kids school lunches, or you simply want to order your weekend coffee without having to drive to the shops, Wing [will] give customers the opportunity to have a range of goods delivered in a handful of minutes.”

The Palaszczuk government launched Australia’s first drone strategy in 2017 as part of a bid to make Queensland the “drones capital”.

“We are already leading the way in drone technology across a number of industries, including defence, agriculture, mining and manufacturing,” Jones said.

Warwick, in regional Queensland, was among the first locations trialling the then ultra-secret “Project Wing” back in 2014.