beach - 2026-05-22

Sixty New Shark-Detection Drones Deployed Across Northern Beaches in Honour of Mercury Psillakis

A new chapter in ocean safety has begun for the Northern Beaches, with the NSW Government announcing a $650,000 funding commitment to Surfing NSW for the deployment of 60 shark-detection drones across affiliated boardriding clubs throughout the state. The announcement was made at Mona Vale Beach in early May, and carries deep personal significance for the local community — each drone will bear the name of Mercury Psillakis, the 57-year-old Northern Beaches surfer who was fatally attacked by a shark at Dee Why Beach on 6 September 2025.

A new chapter in ocean safety has begun for the Northern Beaches, with the NSW Government announcing a $650,000 funding commitment to Surfing NSW for the deployment of 60 shark-detection drones across affiliated boardriding clubs throughout the state. The announcement was made at Mona Vale Beach in early May, and carries deep personal significance for the local community — each drone will bear the name of Mercury Psillakis, the 57-year-old Northern Beaches surfer who was fatally attacked by a shark at Dee Why Beach on 6 September 2025. NSW Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty, joined by Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby and Manly MP Michael Regan, attended the Mona Vale launch alongside Surfing NSW Chief Executive Officer Lucas Townsend and members of the Psillakis family. The funding forms part of a broader $30 million NSW Shark Management Program and will also cover training for 125 new volunteer drone pilots drawn from Surfing NSW's network of boardriding clubs. Minister Moriarty described the initiative as a meaningful step forward in protecting surfers who take to the water outside the formal Surf Life Saving NSW patrol season. "This package today is a $650,000 package,...