Current Program

The NSW Shark Management Program is the largest and most comprehensive program of its kind in the world, with the NSW Government investing approximately $120 million over the next two years to help keep people safer in the water.

No government can promise there will never be another shark incident . What we can do is keep investing in technology, research and education that help reduce risk and better protect people using our beaches.

Nearly half of this significant investment is to deliver the world's largest expansion of drone coverage for shark surveillance, as well as trials of artificial intelligence and autonomous drones with an eye on the future of shark mitigation.

From 1 July 2026, 72 ocean beaches (including all 38 Sydney beaches) benefit from 'dawn to dusk' drone monitoring 365 days of the year, including at least one beach in every coastal local government area.

Expanded regional operations along the coast will for the first time include:

• flights every weekend throughout the year
• daily flights from 1 December to 30 April
• extended daily flight hours to cover dawn to dusk

This is additional to the existing school holiday drone program along the coast.

See 26/27 Drone Schedule for more information.

Find out more about drones in Surf Life Saving NSW.

This significant investment in drones is in addition to the other components of our Shark Management Program including:

• 305 SMART (Shark-Management-Alert-in-Real-Time) drumlines across 19 LGAs, all year
• 51 shark nets across eight LGAs between Newcastle and Wollongong, 1 September 2026 to 31 March 2027
• 37 tagged shark listening stations at ocean beaches, with at least one in every LGA, all year round
• 2 tagged shark listening stations in Sydney Harbour
• Our partnership with Surfing NSW to provide shark mitigation support and services including drones, trauma response kits, and training
• Our partnership with Community Shark Bite Kits to install kits at ocean beaches and estuarine hotspots along the NSW coast
• SharkSmart community awareness and education campaign, including the SharkSmart app and website, mobile education vans, social media alerts, and community warnings during periods of elevated risk
• Research program focused on the three target species of the Program being white, tiger and bull sharks, including population assessments and bull shark research in Sydney Harbour and other estuaries; social research; AI and drone automation; and continuing research into personal and area-based shark deterrents, bite-resistant materials, and other developing areas of shark mitigation.