Australian consumers may soon get the option of having items they purchase online delivered direct to their doors by drones.

Australia Post is trialling the use of remotely piloted drones internally, with the backing of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

If the initial two-week trial is successful, the company hopes to trial the service with consumers by the end of the year.

The organisation put its new delivery drone through its paces at Dandenong South in Melbourne's south-east last month.

The new technology could revolutionise the way parcels are delivered – particularly in remote regional and rural areas.

Australia Post is working with local start-up ARI Labs, which developed proprietary technology for the drones, to check their reliability and applications.

Australia Post CEO Ahmed Fahour said the drone trial is just one of the innovations Australia Post is exploring, as online shopping continues to post double-digit growth.

Customer convenience

The new trial by the postal service will initially focus on small parcels – making it ideal for the rapid delivery of medications.

"E-commerce and online shopping, it's all about customer convenience," Mr Fahour said.

"If you were shopping and wanted something really quickly, what's the best way when you've got traffic and a situation where you need it right now? You could potentially use it."

The drones would be operated by delivery drivers who would launch them from a parked vehicle.

CASA, the government body overseeing air traffic safety, recently relaxed some regulations for commercial drone operators, including the need for an operator's certificate and a remote pilot's licence.

Safety requirements

The changes apply to drones weighing less than 2kg and came into effect at the end of September this year.

A CASA spokesman said the authority would identify all relevant safety requirements to ensure there were no risks to people, property or aircraft.

He added CASA currently did not approve drone operations over populous areas, "so drones cannot currently deliver parcels down city or suburban streets".

The drones are expected to cost $10,000 each and will allow packages up to 2kg to be delivered over 25km. This may be increased by up to 10kg – subject to certain requirements.

Each drone has an HD camera, a siren, parachute and lights. It also has a video system to allow operators to monitor the landing environment for hazards.

Major US retailers Amazon and Wal-Mart are also testing the use of drones for commercial delivery, subject to regulatory approval.