- More than 545 drone flights have been completed on 6 newly monitored Queensland beaches this summer.
- In 2025, the SharkSmart drone surveillance program spotted more than 862 sharks at 16 monitored beaches, with 124 of those greater than 2m in length.
- The Crisafulli Government is delivering safer beaches to better protect Queensland beach goers as part of a fresh start for Queensland.
The Crisafulli Government is delivering safer beaches through the largest investment in the Shark Management Plan in Queensland's history, with the expanded and permanent shark-spotting drone fleet on patrol this summer.
The SharkSmart drones are stationed at key Queensland beaches, to monitor and detect sharks as well as gather data on shark movements and behaviour, to help protect beach goers.
In the four months since the expanded SharkSmart drone program began, 149 sharks have been spotted at new program locations, giving real-time awareness to Surf Life Savers of potential risks to swimmers.
The new beaches that began drone surveillance this summer season are:
- Kirra Beach, Gold Coast
- Cylinder Beach, North Stradbroke Island
- Tangalooma, Moreton Island (summer and Easter school holidays)
- Kings Beach, Sunshine Coast
- Kelly's Beach, Bundaberg
- Agnes Water Main Beach
The expansion to the SharkSmart drone program follows a successful trial where Surf Life Saving Queensland conducted 17,954 drone flights between September 2020 and April 2024 across 10 locations.
The former Labor Government's inaction to properly fund the shark management program put swimmer safety and our international tourism reputation at risk, failing Queenslanders to instead appease radical agendas.
Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett said the drone program had been expanded to some of Queensland's most popular, and densely populated, beaches.
"Our beaches are where Queenslanders and visitors to love to relax, cool off and enjoy some rest and relaxation and now some of our busiest beaches are even safer thanks to the expanded SharkSmart drone surveillance program," Minister Perrett said.
"We boosted the investment into the Shark Control Program by 151 per cent, resulting in more than $88 million of additional funding over the life of the plan to return it to its primary purpose; to protect swimmers at select beaches from shark attacks.
"Importantly, 60 per cent of the new investment delivers the non-lethal and innovative solutions that have been a key feature of the strengthened Shark Management Plan 2025-2029.
"The Crisafulli Government made a commitment to double its drone program to 20 beaches for the 2026–27 season and we are well on track to delivering – if not exceeding – that commitment to Queenslanders' safety.
"We're particularly proud to be expanding the drone surveillance program across our iconic beaches on the southern Gold Coast, where we've been able to obtain all the relevant permits to allow drone flights in restricted air space."
