Under the current Beachwatch program, Sydney coastal councils, including the Northern Beaches, do not share the costs with the NSW Government, but regional councils do. Beachwatch monitors 97 swim sites within 14 local government areas in the Sydney coastal area at no cost to Councils. Proposed changes were designed to make the system equitable.

Northern Beaches Council was involved in some pre budget brinkmanship with the State Government over continued funding for the Beachwatch program and this week the State Government agreed to extend the funding for the program for 12 months while the Councils and State work out an equitable way to fund this important program. The NSW Government 2022–23 budget provided $18.5 million over 10 years to deliver the Universal Beachwatch Partnership Program statewide and support all NSW councils to be able to opt in from July 2024.