Fraser Ellis says $500K shark package fails surfers on Yorke and Eyre peninsulas

A regional MP says a shark mitigation package is too city-centric and fails to protect surfers in areas where five people have died from shark attacks in the past two years. Have your say.

A $500,000 state government package aimed at reducing the risk of shark attacks will deliver no benefits to people in the regions that have been home to four fatal attacks in the past two years, a local MP says.

Member for Narungga Fraser Ellis said a “ridiculous” shark taskforce decision to fund Surf Life Saving SA to deliver the program would likely only help people using beaches in metropolitan Adelaide and on SA’s southern coast.

“While Surf Life Saving SA is a wonderful organisation, we don’t actually have any clubs on the Yorke Peninsula, so I’m not sure how they’re practically going to expend that money for the betterment of our community,” Mr Ellis said.

“As far as I’m aware, all the shark attacks have happened on the Eyre Peninsula and the Yorke Peninsula, and so increased monitoring of metropolitan beaches won’t have much effect for us.”

Great white sharks have killed four people on South Australian beaches in the past two years.

Since May, 2023, four surfers have been killed by great white sharks in South Australia. Lance Appleby and Tod Gendle were killed near Streaky Bay on the Eyre Peninsula, Simon Baccanello died after being attacked near Elliston, also on the West Coast, while teenager Khai Cowley was taken in Innes National Park on the Yorke Peninsula.

Mr Ellis said he knew of veteran surfers no longer willing to brave the ocean in the wake of the attacks, of increased shark numbers and of sharks becoming more brazen. He said surfers staying away from the beaches meant less regional tourism and urged the government to investigate a tagging program to monitor shark levels and protect swimmers.

Primary Industries and Regional Development minister Clare Scriven said the location of Surf Life Saving Clubs had no impact on how shark mitigation measures would be implemented.

“The initiative will address critical gaps in public safety in regional coastal areas by prioritising high-risk sites and delivering tailored interventions,” she said.

Head of lifesaving and emergency operations Sean Faulkner said Surf Life Saving SA had already engaged with Yorke Peninsula, Streaky Bay and Elliston councils and would roll out “bespoke solutions” including signs, trauma kits and education programs in the coming weeks.

Originally published as Fraser Ellis says $500K shark package fails surfers on Yorke and Eyre peninsulas