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Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby has welcomed the rollout of new shark surveillance drones to boardrider clubs in the Northern Beaches, saying it will help restore confidence for surfers and strengthen community-led beach safety and help support participation in surfing as a sport.
This announcement is a direct response to the Pittwater surfing community’s calls to better address shark safety.
Ms Scruby said, “This initiative will be a game changer for surfer safety and beautifully honours the legacy of Mercury Psillakis, and his family’s ongoing advocacy. It is a practical, community-driven response that will help keep people safer during surfing competitions and help surfers feel more confident when they are in the water”.
The NSW Government has now committed $650,000 to expand Surfing NSW’s drone program, delivering 60 additional drones and training for 125 pilots to ensure every boardrider club is equipped, including those on the Northern Beaches.
Earlier this year Ms Scruby asked the Premier if he was willing to scale the Surfing NSW community-led surveillance programs to protect surfers all year round, and calls on the government to ensure ongoing funding for this program into the future.
Ms Scruby believes this is a significant step forward because it combines science backed technology with community capability, giving boardrider clubs the ability to actively monitor conditions during competitions, training and everyday use.
Ms Scruby added: “It directly responds to strong community concern about shark activity and our community’s changing behaviour in the water as a result, but more needs to be done.”
”The elephant in the room is that despite a huge investment in daily SLSC drone coverage for each of our beaches over summer and now boardriding clubs having their own drones for competition, surfers remain vulnerable early in the morning and late in the afternoon in summer, and through the winter.”
”My vision is for NSW to lead the world in shark management. That means automated drones from dawn to dusk, that there is co-ordinated alerts to apps, phones and shark alarms and we use AI to analyse data not only from drone footage but on water quality, turbidity, temperature and other sources to better understand shark numbers and behaviour and take further action as necessary. That will require continuous improvement and listening to surfers as key stakeholders in the ocean.”
Ms Scruby noted that significant and numerous shark sightings were confirmed this week at Narrabeen and Bilgola and she has shared the footage with the Premier’s Office, Minister for Agriculture and Minister for Emergency Services, calling for an extension of the drone program.
Picture Caption: Psilliakis Family, Jacqui Scruby MP, Minister Tara Moriaty, Michael Regan MP, Surfing NSW’s Lucas Townsend and Mona Vale Boardriders Member Ben Wheeler.
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