The NSW Government will engage with Central Coast Council over the next summer on shark management, with a focus on the future use of shark nets, and the exploration of local decision-making on the removal or use of nets.
From September 2024 the newly elected Central Coast Council will have the opportunity to consult with the community on shark management at local beaches along the coast.
The future use or removal of shark nets along with other tools for managing shark interactions and safety on beaches, can be covered in the consultation.
This will ensure community expectations are met and the right balance is struck between ensuring beach goers are safe and protecting our local marine life.
There will also be engagement with Surf Life Saving NSW and Surfing NSW who are partners with the NSW Government in delivering the Shark Management Program for 2024-25 and into the future.
The Shark Management Program for the coming summer, released today, includes a suite of new measures to be trialled, which will increase protections for marine life while shark nets remain in use, 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 increased over nets during March to scout for turtles on the days contractors aren't inspecting
- Trial of lights on nets to deter turtles and prevent their entanglement during February and March.
Shark nets across NSW, including the 11 in operation on the Central Coast, are also fitted with acoustic warning devices, such as dolphin pingers and whale alarms, to deter and minimise the risks to those marine mammals.
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 32 in operation on the Central 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 three on the Central Coast, can track these sharks near the beaches where the device is based - with this information available to anyone with the SharkSmart app, website of on X (Twitter).
Over 2,000 target sharks have been tagged over the life of the program and are monitored by listening stations.
Please go to this website to see a map of Central Coast shark mitigation measures: Central-Coast-LGA-Shark-Mitigation-Measures.pdf (nsw.gov.au)
