The NSW government has planned to engage with Illawarra and South Coast councils over the coming summer with focus on shark prevention and management. Implementing shark nets and exploration of local decision making regarding the use and removal of shark nets. 

From October 2024, local councils will be provided with consultation opportunities with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. 

Within these consultation periods, communities will have the opportunity to enquire on the uses and removal of shark nets along with tools for managing shark interactions and safety on beaches. 

Ensuring community expectations are being met as well as ensuring beach goers are safe and protected from marine life. 

Released today, the Shark Management Program will include a suite of new trialled measures, which will increase protections for marine life including:

• Removing shark nets one month earlier on 31 March 2025, to respond to increased turtle activity in April

• Increasing the frequency of net inspections by contractors during March from every 3rd day to every 2nd day

• SLS drone surveillance over nets during March to scout for turtles on the days contractors aren’t inspecting, effectively providing daily net inspections

• Trials of lights on nets to deter turtles and prevent their entanglement during February and March

Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast, Ryan Park said that the last thing an Illawarra summer needs is more tragedy. “We have such beautiful beaches and coastal areas in the Illawarra and the South Coast, and the last thing we ever want to see is a tragedy we didn’t prepare for.

“It’s important that our government looks at ways to keep swimmers and surfers safe in the water, while also considering measures to protect our beautiful marine life,” he said. 

Over the 2023-24 season 400 drone pilots for Surf Life Saving NSW were trained, who flew more than 36,000 flights across nearly 10,000 hours. Through this use of drones 362 sharks were observed.

SMART drumlines, including the 75 in operation in the Illawarra and South Coast, have also been used as an effective tool to keep swimmers safe on New South Wales beaches, allowing over 413 target sharks such as white, tiger and bull sharks, to be caught, tagged and released last year.

Once tagged, the state’s 37 coastal tagged shark listening stations, including the 8 in the Illawarra and on the South Coast, can track these sharks near the beaches where the device is based – with this information available to anyone with the SharkSmart app, website or on X (formerly Twitter).

To view shark mitigation measures for the Illawarra and the South Coast, visit:

https://www.sharksmart.nsw.gov.au/current-program