The NSW Government, through the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Fisheries, funds the NSW Shark Management Program, recognised as the largest and most comprehensive initiative of its kind globally. On Sunday, 7 December 2025, the NSW Government announced a $2.5 million enhancement for the 2025/26 Program. This funding supports an extended Surf Life Saving NSW (SLS NSW) summer drone program, boosts the Surfing NSW drone fleet and pilot training, triples funding for Community Shark Bite Kits in regional areas, and expands the SharkSmart education program with summer pop-up beach events and improved features in the SharkSmart app.

Surf Life Saving NSW Procedures for Shark Incidents

Surf Life Saving NSW publishes ‘Public Safety Standard Operating Procedures’, including guidelines for managing shark incidents and recognising risks associated with sharks. The document uses the term ‘shark’ broadly, acknowledging that not all sharks are dangerous. In NSW coastal waters, nearly all shark bites are attributed to three types: whaler sharks (including bull sharks), tiger sharks, and great white sharks (also known as white pointer or white shark).

According to SLSNSW procedures, a shark alarm is triggered when a civilian or lifesaving personnel spot an object in the water believed to be a shark. Immediate action is taken to ensure public safety and to confirm the identity of the object. A shark sighting is determined when the presence of a shark has been confirmed, usually following a shark alarm. Duty officers are available to support Patrol Captains and Council lifeguards in managing shark issues and sightings.

Beach Closure Arrangements and Shark Alarms

Northern Beaches Council is currently reviewing beach closure arrangements for shark sightings at Shelly Beach and is considering the installation of a shark alarm there. At present, there is no shark alarm at Shelly Beach. Closures and notifications to swimmers at Manly and Shelly beaches are managed by Council Lifeguards from Manly Beach. Both Council lifeguards and SLSNSW volunteers advise and encourage swimmers to leave the water as directed for personal safety reasons, and this advice should not be ignored.

There are no procedures for, or monitoring the harbourside beaches. Swimmers should swim in the netted enclosures.

Key features of the 25/26 Shark Management program

• 305 SMART drumlines deployed in 19 coastal local government areas (LGAs) from Tweed to Bega, including 30 drumlines along the Northern Beaches, 10 between Dee Why and Manly, and three drumlines off Manly Beach.
• Shark nets installed at 51 beaches across eight LGAs between Newcastle and Wollongong, operating from 1 September 2025 to 31 March 2026. The Northern Beaches have 15 nets, with one net at Manly Beach, 150m long and 6m deep, with a mesh size of 60cm aprroximately 500m from the shore.
• Surf Life Saving NSW has drone patrols at 50 beaches during school holidays, with drones in every coastal LGA. These patrols operate seven days a week and will continue through to the end of the April 2026 school holidays. The Australian Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle Service (AUAVS), an operational unit of Surf Life Saving Services Pty Ltd (SLSS), provides the largest coastal UAV (drone) surveillance program in the Southern Hemisphere.
• SLSS has 7 drone locations currently operating on the Northern Beaches. A drone is currently being operated from North Steyne monitoring the length of Manly Beach as well as from the Freshwater headland covering Freshwater, north & south Curl Curl. Northern Beaches Council lifeguards do not conduct drone operations as the Council beach service is not resourced for this function.

Surfing NSW

Surfing NSW has been allocated $650,000 to expand its aerial surveillance (drone) program. This funding will support the staged rollout of drone capability across surf clubs and surf schools, alongside pilot training and education. Surfing NSW is currently undertaking procurement, training, and rollout. Local Manly surf schools and clubs are now operating drones during surf competitions and while teaching students in the surf at Manly.

Shark Listening Stations and Data Management

NSW DPI Fisheries operates 37 tagged shark listening stations, with at least one in every coastal LGA. These receivers detect tagged sharks within a 500-metre radius and provide real-time updates to the public and beach authorities via Twitter (@NSWSharkSmart) and the SharkSmart app. Data from these stations offers valuable insights into shark movements in NSW waters. DPI also manages several hundred VR2W listening stations, which require retrieval from the seabed to download data. This retrospective data provides detailed information on shark movements and habitat use, aiding understanding of shark distribution and interactions with humans. Three listening stations are located off the Northern Beaches, including one at North Steyne off Manly Beach since 2022. There is also a listening station in Sydney Harbour.

Community Education and Lifeguard Operations

The SharkSmart community education program has held events at the Corso end of Manly Beach throughout the 2025/26 summer season. Northern Beaches Council Professional Lifeguards patrol the beaches beyond the surf zone using jetskis and rubber duckies. Council lifeguards have access to a jet ski located in the MLSC and a rubber duckie.

Outer Sydney Harbour Coastal Management Program Sydney Coastal Council group Your Say https://www.sydneycoastalcouncils.com.au/program/outer-sydney-harbour-coastal-management-program/