Shark-spotting drones to monitor 70 NSW beaches every day of the year

Shark-spotting drones will now offer continuous, year-round surveillance at around 70 beaches along the New South Wales coast. This significant expansion of the state's shark surveillance program comes in the wake of a recent attack on a Sydney mother.

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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.

The state government announced an additional $34 million investment, ensuring coverage at every ocean beach from Palm Beach to Cronulla, 365 days a year. Surf Life Saving NSW will conduct the monitoring, focusing on beaches with high numbers of swimmers and surfers, and areas where shark incidents have become more frequent. The program will feature flights every weekend throughout the year, with daily patrols from December 1 to April 30, prioritizing the busiest locations.

This funding brings the total investment in the Shark Mitigation Program to $120 million over the next two years. The program also encompasses trials of two new artificial intelligence shark detection systems during the upcoming summer. NSW Premier Chris Minns stated that the enhanced surveillance aims to improve beachgoer safety by providing earlier shark detection and issuing timely warnings.

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More drones in the air means we're getting a better picture of what's happening offshore and it means we'll get better at seeing them.

"More drones in the air means we're getting a better picture of what's happening offshore and it means we'll get better at seeing them," Minns said. The announcement follows a critical injury sustained by Leah Stewart, who was attacked while swimming between the flags at Coogee Beach, an area where drone patrols were temporarily suspended due to proximity to Sydney Airport's flight path. Stewart has since undergone surgery and is reported to be in stable condition.

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Even with the greatest technology and expanded presence of drones, we cannot prevent all shark interactions, however this funding will allow the development of a safety program that will give the greatest opportunity to prevent these from occurring.