Overview
- Training has begun on Sydney’s Northern Beaches as Surfing NSW prepares 125 volunteer pilots and deploys 60 drones by the end of winter.
- The expansion is funded by a $650,000 grant within the state’s $30 million Shark Management Program for 2025–26.
- Pilots trained to identify high-risk species will run year-round flights and upload sightings to the SharkSmart app for real-time alerts.
- Boardrider clubs will use the drones outside patrol hours with protocols that pause events for at least 30 minutes after a sighting.
- Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty says shark nets remain for now, while Mercury Psillakis’s family supports the program and is urging future AI-enabled, automated drones.