Tweed misses out on NSW Government funding 'yet again' for SMART drumlines to protect against sharks
A Tweed shark mitigation group is furious the NSW Government has 'yet again' ignored their pleas for funding for a SMART drumline trial more than a year after a Gold Coast surfer was fatally mauled by a shark in the shire.
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A COMMUNITY group formed to improve shark mitigation on the Tweed Coast is furious the NSW Government ignored their pleas for funding for a SMART drumline trial for the second time.
The Tweed Shark Attack Mitigation Group (TSAMG) has been calling on the State Government for the trial after Gold Coast surfer Rob Pedretti was fatally mauled by a shark in the shire in June 2020.
TSAMG member James Owen said NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall promised funding for the trial before last October’s budget and again this year but no money was allocated “yet again”.
“It’s over 12 months since the fatal attack at South Kingscliff beach and the 2021 shark season is in full swing with the whales migrating and the mullet running. People are concerned,” Mr Owen said.
“We know the ocean is the shark’s domain and that we enter it at our own risk, however, when there is technology available that has minimal negative impact on marine life and is proven to reduce the risk of attacks on people, then we should be rolling it out in areas where there have been attacks to protect the community.”
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Mr Owen said the NSW Department of Primary Industries said it had confidence SMART drumlines were effective in removing the immediate risk to beachgoers near and far.
He said the department had been waiting on results of a Shark Survey which also asked the community if they were open to the trial.
Gold Coast and Tweed's most shocking shark attacks
“We should already have the results of the survey and there should have been money allocated in the budget to implement a SMART drumline trial if the survey results indicate that is what people want.”
'Nothing done' after shock great white fatal
June 1, 2021
SMART drumlines flagged for Tweed beaches have still not been installed almost a year after a Gold Coast surfer was fatally mauled by a great white shark in the shire.
It’s prompted Tweed councillor James Owen to speak up with the Tweed Shark Attack Mitigation Group, of which he is a founding member.
Tweed MP Geoff Provest and NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall discussed installing the lines after the death of Tugun’s Rob Pedretti on June 7 last year.
Despite the talks – and the fatal mauling of Miami‘s Nick Slater at Greenmount months later – the Tweed remains drumline-free.
Beaches are protected by drones, lifesaver patrols and a listening station off Kingscliff.
But Cr Owen and the group believe more needs to be done.
“The winter mullet run and whale migration is already underway and there is concern in the community that not enough is being done to keep the community safe from the possibility of shark attacks this winter,” he said.
“There is a growing concern about the increased presence of great white sharks along our beaches ... I am contacted regularly by members of the community asking me what the NSW Government is doing to mitigate the possibility of shark attacks in the Tweed Shire.”
Cr Owen penned a letter to Mr Marshall four days after Mr Pedretti was killed, asking for improved mitigation in the shire. The group recently made similar requests.
“Whilst I commend the NSW Government for providing some additional funding for UAVs and UAV pilot training, there is still a lack of action on other suggested measures,” he said.
Cr Owen said drumlines would have “minimal negative impacts on marine life”.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries has been waiting on results of a Shark Smart survey due late June.
Kingscliff Boardriders Club’s Kiri Henry, a group representative, believes the attack on Mr Pedretti had a long-lasting impact.
“Our boardriders club has lost at least half of the junior surfers who would normally compete at our monthly competitions, simply because they do not feel safe returning to the ocean,” she said.
“It has been a year since Rob Pedretti lost his life at our local break and nothing has been done.”
Fears another shark attack could rock region
November 30, 2020
TWEED has missed out on funding for shark mitigation gear on its largely unprotected beaches despite surfers being fatally mauled at Salt Beach and over the border at Greenmount.
Surf lifesavers and other community members fear a third death after shock great white attacks took the life of Miami‘s Nick Slater at Greenmount on September 8 and Tugun’s Rob Pedretti near Kingscliff on June 7.
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In early October, Tweed MP Geoff Provest flagged funding for SMART drumlines and more shark-spotting drones amid a wave of sightings and encounters across the Gold Coast and Tweed.
Mr Provest said he was “highly confident” the gear would be confirmed in the budget after NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall “put in a recommendation for extra drones and (new) SMART drumlines”.
“Once these funds are approved I want to see them in straight away. SMART (Shark-Management-Alert-in-Real-Time) drumlines are a really great idea,” Mr Provest said.
Surf lifesavers Tweed Deputy Mayor Reece Byrnes and councillor James Owen welcomed funding for measures to boost beachgoer safety on the shire’s shores.
However, budget documents indicate only $315,000 has been allocated statewide for Enhancing Shark Mitigation and Ocean Beach Safety.
The documents do not list any specific funding for shark mitigation in Tweed.
Tweed MP Geoff Provest was contacted for more information via phone and text message.
But he did not respond to queries about the funding arrangements.
Cr Owen, who held a stakeholder meeting about sharks earlier this month, has been working with surf clubs and boardriders to increase shark surveillance at Tweed beaches.
He said beachgoers were not confident about entering the water.
“When we met last Monday, everyone was saying ‘what about drumlines?’. Why haven’t they done anything with drumlines yet in Tweed, because we’ve had the attack,” he said,
“I was disappointed there’s still no news on drumlines. Drone-wise we’re going okay, it could be better, but we’re going okay.
“Certainly with the drumlines, we’d like see some action on that, some commitment to a drumline program for Tweed as soon as possible.”
Cr Owen believes drumlines would be effective at preventing an attack and questioned “why aren’t they (installing) them up here?”.
“It wouldn’t take much to do, for crying out loud. They should have pulled their fingers out, ” he said.
Sharks caught on baited SMART drumlines are tagged and trigger alerts if they swim close to beach detectors.
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