Shark Safety Sees Funding Boost After Horror Spate Of Attacks
Image: Christopher Gillette
The NSW government is dedicating $4.2 million to improve shark safety for swimmers this summer, following a shock spate of shark attacks across the state’s coast over the last week.
In a 48-hour-period starting from Monday, four people were attacked by sharks, including two children, one of whom died from his injuries. Experts have linked the unprecedented number of attacks to heavy rainfall flushing dirty water onto beaches, leading to an increase in shark activity.
The incidents have highlighted the need for better education and community safety messaging around shark behaviour, supporting Sydney’s swimmers to stay safe while in the ocean.
The funding will see an increase in the number of Surf Life Saving NSW shark surveillance drones operating, with an additional 30 locations monitored from 24 January, including 19 new Sydney beaches and 11 regional sites. Flights will be operating seven days a week until the end of the April school holidays, alongside the already existing fleet covering 50 beaches during the school holiday period.
Scientists from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development will also be able to carry out focused researched on Bull sharks in Sydney Harbour and other estuaries through tagging and monitoring, providing clearer insights into their numbers, movements, residency patterns, and higher-risk periods.
New shark listening stations will also be installed in the Harbour, alerting officials when tagged sharks are nearby, and community education and awareness campaigns will be expanded to better inform the public, especially during periods of elevated risk like we’ve seen in the last week.
“There’s no single solution, and no government can ever promise to make the water completely safe, which is why we’re using a range of tools to keep people informed and as safe as possible,” said agriculture minister Tara Moriarty.
“This funding will help expand drone surveillance, improve education and ensure timely warnings, so swimmers and surfers can make informed decisions about when to enter the water.”
Safety measures helped to spot hundreds of sharks
The measures come after the government announced an additional $2.5 million to its 2025/25 Shark Management Program in December, which saw increased drone surveillance and the funding for 150 community shark bite kits in regional coastal areas tripled.
“So far in 2025/26, 50 Surf Life Saving NSW drones from Tweed to Bega have completed 29,431 flights over 8044 flying hours,” said Surf Life Saving CEO Steve Pearce. “During that time 461 sharks were sighted.
“This new package represents a 90% increase on our current shark surveillance drone program – a significant enhancement that will see more drones flying at popular beaches along our coast, representing an additional 35,000 flying hours from 24 January to 26 April.”
