The Northern Beaches will have shark-spotting drone coverage every day from dawn to dusk 365 days a year from Wednesday as part of a state response to more frequent shark bites.
The government confirmed yesterday it will invest an additional $34 million in drone technology, harnessing artificial intelligence and emerging systems, in a major scale-up of coverage across Sydney beaches and along the NSW coast.
The expanded monitoring, led by Surf Life Saving NSW, will prioritise beaches with high numbers of swimmers, surfers and paddlers, including in Sydney and the North Coast, where shark incidents have become more frequent.
Coverage begins July 1 and includes year-round monitoring across all Sydney beaches, expanding from 26 to 38, from Palm Beach to Cronulla. The enhanced program also includes two SharkSmart listening stations in Sydney Harbour to alert swimmers to the presence of tagged sharks. It is worth noting this is unlikely to mean continuous monitoring during these hours and can be weather dependent. We do not yet have finer details relating to operations.
Coverage will not be limited to patrolled beaches, extending protection to popular unpatrolled surf locations. Surf Life Saving NSW will continue to lead drone operations.
Drones have limitations, including weather conditions, visibility and battery constraints, but remain a vital tool in protecting water users.
The NSW Government will also trial at least two new artificial intelligence systems over summer and work with air traffic authorities to pursue regulatory approvals for more autonomous drone operations.
Premier Chris Minns said the funding will also enable Surf Life Saving NSW to upgrade remote pilot and operating facilities, support deployment of new technology, and pave the way for daily automated flights from surf club rooftops and other purpose-built infrastructure.
“While no one can ever promise no shark interactions, this investment is about putting more eyes in the sky so we can spot sharks earlier and give people a clear heads-up when they’re in the water,” he said.
“More drones in the air means we’re getting a better picture of what’s happening offshore and we’ll get better at seeing them. We’re backing practical technology that helps keep families, surfers and swimmers safer right across the coast.”
Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steve Pearce estimated about 2000 shark interactions with swimmers and surfers were prevented by existing drone alert systems this year.
“Even with the greatest technology and expanded drone presence, we cannot prevent all shark interactions. However, this funding will allow us to develop a safety program that gives the greatest opportunity to prevent them.”
Surfing NSW President Lukas Townsend said he supported the expansion, calling it a win for surfers.
Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby said the announcement would significantly restore her community’s confidence in the water.
“The ocean is part of who we are and our daily lifestyle. Recent attacks shattered our confidence, ocean swims were cancelled, nipper numbers fell and surfing competitions were cancelled or saw reduced participation. We now have a world-leading program to allow us to use the ocean as we always have.”
“Surfers, ocean swimmers and fishers are in the ocean from dawn to dusk, all year, and outside patrolled hours. We’ve been missing drone coverage when many locals were using the water most. It’s been like running a bus to the city without a peak-hour service.”
Ms Scruby called for the program to be optimised through engagement with key ocean stakeholders, noting it can be used to build a stronger evidence base on shark numbers, behaviour, bait balls, fish movement and changing ocean conditions.
“We need to improve how this program has been operating. We can’t have people writing notes on car windscreens or posting on local Facebook groups. The SharkSmart app needs updating, and people need clearer information on how it all works, when drones are flying, how shark sightings are communicated, and how data is collected. The only way to get this right is to co-design it with key stakeholders.”
Wakehurst MP Michael Regan said the announcement did not happen by chance, noting sustained advocacy from local stakeholders including Maria Psillakis, widow of shark bite victim Mercury, and Long Reef Boardriders.
Manly MP James Griffin also welcomed the move, saying he was pleased to see AI trialled as part of the package. “Any way we can get more efficiency in detection and not rely so heavily on human eyes is a good thing. It will be a huge burden on humans to monitor all day, so we need to teach AI to detect and scale so the solution is sustainable. In the end, this is the best outcome from a tragic situation.”
