Greens Candidate for Lord Mayor Jess Whittaker is calling on the State Labor Government to keep shark nets out of the water this summer.

“This an outrageous decision and will simply see more endangered marine life, such as dolphins, turtles, sting rays and non-target shark species die during the 2024/2025 summer swimming season,” Jess said.

“Once again the State government has shown they clearly don’t care about our fantastic marine life. It’s disappointing they have decided to kick-the-can down the road instead of having the guts to end a program that is incredibly cruel and has no evidence behind it to demonstrate it keeps swimmers and surfers safe.

“People of the Illawarra were horrified to see footage of a bottlenose dolphin fatally entangled off Thirroul beach earlier this year,” Jess said. “We will continue to campaign on this issue in the lead up to the local government elections in September because many people agree that this $86 million shark program is a cruel and ineffective waste of taxpayer money.

“To save lives at the beach we could use this money to invest in lifeguards, community education, fast responses if there is a shark interaction, drone surveillance and personal shark deterrent devices. Labor needs to keep shark nets out of the water now and cease the meaningless deaths of countless endangered species.

“Since 2012, there have been 166 Grey Nurse sharks killed in NSW shark nets. Grey Nurse sharks are critically endangered and are known as the Labradors of the sea. This program is leading to their extinction.  

“The State government also hasn’t confirmed if the shark net off Garie Beach in the Royal National park will be put back in the water again this season. As we know, the road to Garie has been closed for two years and there are further delays to the repair work. But the net has remained at this empty beach for two seasons. This net alone has been responsible for the death of 109 non-target marine animals since 2012.”

The $86.4 million dollar Sharksmart program funds a range of measures from drum lines to less invasive drone surveillance that can alert swimmers and surfers to the presence of sharks. The program offers education and can also supply trauma kits for a  fast response in the event of an attack.

Before the ALP gained power in NSW, Member for Keira Ryan Park said in 2019: “It is hoped that ongoing research, trials, and development of these technologies will reduce our reliance on traditional means of protecting bathers from shark attack. If trials of new technologies are proven to improve safety outcomes for swimmers, Labor will support the reassessment of shark nets to move towards non-lethal new technologies. Labor will be ready to act, based on research and evidence. Labor will continue to advocate for proven protections that keep both swimmers and marine life safe.”

“Labor has been in power long enough now to fulfil this commitment to the community” Jess said.