Our thoughts are with everyone across the NSW coastline who has been impacted by the shark-related incidents this week, our surfing community, and the first responders – many from our club network – who stepped in to support during an incredibly difficult time.
With many club seasons kicking off next month, we’ll be hosting a webinar in early February for club Presidents and committee members to access the latest information, education and practical water safety resources to support upcoming competitions.
Funding clarity: drones and aerial surveillance
In December, as part of a $2.5M uplift in shark mitigation funding from the State Government into several agencies and organisations, Surfing NSW was allocated $650,000 to scale its existing aerial surveillance (drones) program. This funding supports the staged expansion of drone capability across clubs and surf schools, alongside pilot training and education. We are progressing procurement and rollout planning and will share further detail with clubs during the webinar.
Surfing NSW continues to represent member and club concerns through ongoing engagement with the NSW Government, NSW Department of Primary Industries and Surf Life Saving NSW.
Resources currently available
In response to the recent incidents, Lifeline Northern Beaches is again activating their CCIR team for anyone in the community who may benefit from support or a conversation. They will be based at North Steyne, Manly SLSC:
- Saturday 24 Jan, 10am–4pm
- Sunday 25 Jan, 8am–12 noon
Contact: (02) 9949 5522
For our community outside of the Northern Beaches, additional resources — including our Shark Mitigation Guidance — are available on our website:
- Surfing NSW Shark Mitigation Guidance
- Governance and club support documentation
- Instagram & Facebook real-time updates
We encourage everyone to continue following advice from emergency services, local Councils and NSW SharkSmart.
We appreciate the care our community has shown across clubs and local beaches during what has been a tough and uncertain time, and we will continue sharing updates and resources as they become available.