MEDIA RELEASE - 1 September 2025
Wollongong Ward 1 Greens councillor Jess Whittaker is calling for the $86.4 million dollar Sharksmart program fund to be redirected to non-lethal measures, after the NSW Government announced a “reduced” number of shark nets this season, to be redeployed from today.
Cr Whittaker said:
“There are elements of the Sharksmart program we strongly support, such as education and trauma kits for a fast response in the event of a shark interaction. Other measures such as drum lines and drone surveillance can alert swimmers and surfers to the presence of sharks.”
“We don’t need to be netting wildlife off our beaches, as it’s incredibly cruel and there is no evidence to support nets being effective in protecting people from sharks. There is evidence however, that lifeguards on beaches protect swimmers from sharks as well as from drowning.”
“Since 2012, 166 Grey Nurse sharks have been killed in NSW shark nets. Beautiful, placid animals that we desperately want to see recover along our coast. The NSW Government is driving them to extinction.”
“The State government is also planning to redeploy the Garie Beach and Watamolla nets in the Royal National park this season. I have personally asked the Member for Heathcote to advocate for these nets to be removed, as a priority. We have seen in the data that the Royal National Park nets have a particularly high kill rate of native wildlife, which is shocking given the environmental and cultural significance of the area.”
“Wollongong City Council has continued to oppose shark nets off NSW beaches in the annual DPIE Sharksmart Council sentiment survey. So I am disappointed Wollongong wasn’t included in the trial to remove a net from any of our beaches. I understand some councils didn’t want to choose which beach, but if we were offered the chance to remove a net, I would suggest simply examining the data and removing the one that has the highest wildlife kill rate.”
“Both federal and state governments have a responsibility to protect biodiversity in NSW, and they are failing to do so by redeploying nets along NSW beaches today.”
