Shark-spotting drones to patrol year round

Shark-monitoring drones will be flown year-round at NSW beaches in a bid to boost public safety.

The move was announced on Sunday by the state government, and comes after a young mother was mauled by a shark while she was swimming between the red and yellow flags at Coogee Beach in eastern Sydney.

The government is spending an extra $34 million on drones to raise drone coverage across beaches in Sydney and along the NSW coast.

Under the expanded program, about 70 beaches will benefit from drone monitoring 365 days of the year, including at least one beach in every coastal council area.

Additional patrolling by Surf Life Saving NSW will prioritise beaches with high numbers of swimmers, surfers and paddlers, including in Sydney and the North Coast, where shark incidents have become more frequent.

The new year-round monitoring will start on Wednesday, July 1 and include year-round coverage across all Sydney beaches expanding from 26 to 38 beaches – from Palm Beach to Cronulla.

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The government is also investing in Artificial Intelligence and emerging technology as part of its drone programme.

Sydney mum Leah Stewart, 35, remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition after being attacked by a shark on Saturday, June 13.

NSW Premier Chris Minns says the move was about putting “more eyes in the sky” to help detect sharks.

“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,” he said.

“We’re backing practical technology that helps keep families, surfers and swimmers safer right across the coast.”