Bondi Beach was closed on Wednesday morning after a great white shark was spotted offshore, circling a school of fish near the northern end of the beach. Lifeguards sounded the alarm just before 7am, and the beach remained closed throughout the morning. This follows a similar sighting on Tuesday afternoon that also forced the closure of the iconic beach.
Premier Weighs Daily Drone Surveillance
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has not ruled out implementing daily drone surveillance at some of the state's busiest beaches all year round. Speaking on Sunrise, Minns said the government is actively considering the measure. “The short answer to that is yes,” Minns said. “I’ve got a question mark over the number of beaches that can be covered, but certainly Sydney’s big beaches and the big tourist beaches on the north coast and the south coast.”
Minns added that an announcement is imminent, including new funding and technology in partnership with Surf Lifesaving NSW. “We’ll have an announcement in relation to that very soon, including new money, including the use of new technology and partnering with our trusted partners, and that is Surf Lifesaving NSW.” He acknowledged that while further attacks cannot be ruled out, the goal is to mitigate risks at NSW beaches.
No Shark Summit Despite Public Pressure
Despite calls for a summit to address the rise in shark attacks and sightings, Minns has shut down the idea. Public pressure has mounted after 35-year-old mother Leah Stewart was attacked by a great white shark at Coogee Beach on June 13. Coincidentally, Minns dismissed the summit proposal just minutes after the shark alarm sounded at Bondi Beach. “We have no plans to commit to a summit,” he stated. “But that doesn’t mean we’re going to put our head in the sand and not listen to experts who can give us a better way of mitigating shark attacks or preventing interactions between swimmers and surfers and sharks.”
Drone and Net Technology Plans
Minns previously indicated that the government would fund drone technology to detect sharks near beaches, but it was too late to include in the latest state budget. “We’re going to unveil some practical measures that we think can make a big difference,” he said. “Particularly in relation to drone technology and nets, particularly during the summer period, and we’ll be making announcements very soon.” He emphasised that while he cannot promise no further attacks, the measures can reduce incidents on popular beaches.
Sunrise host Matt Shirvington pressed Minns, noting that Australians “can’t wait” for the measures because “people aren’t going in the water anymore. It is impacting our Australian way of life.” Minns responded that using drones alongside shark nets would be a “world-leading” approach, requiring time to develop a framework. “It’s not as if we can take it off the shelf from California or Miami or Brazil or Johannesburg, places where there is big populations and shark attacks, we have to invent it right here in NSW,” he said. “We’re determined to do that, but there’s not an automatic solution to this problem that I can roll out this afternoon. If there was, that’s exactly what I’d do.”
