New South Wales expands shark drone patrols to 70 beaches year-round
New South Wales is extending shark drones to 72 beaches year-round after a Coogee attack, with 73 sightings in two days and A$34 million more in funding.
New South Wales is putting shark drones over Sydney’s coastline every day from dawn to dusk and extending year-round aerial patrols to about 70 beaches across the state after a June attack at Coogee Beach left a woman in her 30s with serious arm and leg injuries.
The state government said it will add A$34 million to shark-spotting drones as part of a A$120 million shark mitigation strategy over two years. Under the expanded SharkSmart program, 72 beaches will get drone monitoring 365 days a year, including all Sydney ocean beaches from Palm Beach to Cronulla starting July 1, 2026. The broader New South Wales Shark Management Program also uses SMART drumlines, shark nets, tagged shark listening stations and public education.
The intensified patrols moved quickly into use. In the first two days of the expanded Sydney coverage, drones spotted sharks 73 times, triggering multiple beach closures. Surf Life Saving NSW said repeated sightings can involve the same animal being tracked more than once. “Having so many drones out all day, they are picking up everything,” said spokeswoman Donna Wishart.
The program was stepped up after the Coogee attack, which sharpened political and public pressure around beach safety at the start of winter. Premier Chris Minns and other officials have framed the rollout as both a risk-reduction measure and a reassurance campaign for swimmers and surfers along one of the country’s most heavily used coastlines.
The expanded system is designed to widen the state’s watch over the water without promising total protection. Drone surveillance can improve detection, but it cannot prevent every encounter, and the government’s own strategy relies on multiple layers of protection rather than a single measure. By stretching drone coverage across Sydney and into other coastal stretches, authorities are betting that earlier warnings, faster closures and more visible monitoring will help keep beachgoers out of danger while the shark risk remains a live concern.
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