Sydney is set for a sweltering day on Sunday as the state government moves to protect swimmers with a new $4.2 million bull shark warning system following an unprecedented spate of attacks.
The temperature is forecast to hit 41 degrees in Penrith, 39 in Parramatta and 34 in central Sydney, with beaches re-opening over the long weekend after many were closed during the past week over shark fears.
Sydney been on high alert about bull sharks after four attacks at NSW beaches, three of them in the city, including the fatal mauling of 12-year-old Nico Antic in Sydney Harbour.
The NSW government on Sunday announced enhanced measures to track bull sharks including tagging and monitoring and installation of shark listening stations in the harbour.
The new funding package will also broaden drone patrols at beaches to seven days a week and cover more locations in Sydney and other locations on the NSW coast.
NSW Minister for Agriculture, Regional and Western NSW Tara Moriarty said “keeping people safe is our priority”.
“Recent shark incidents following storms and heavy rainfall have highlighted the importance of clear, practical information for people using the water,” she said.
“There’s no single solution, and no government can ever promise to make the water completely safe, which is why we’re using a range of tools to keep people informed and as safe as possible.”
Tagged sharks have previously been tracked at 37 shark listening stations in the state including at least one in every coastal local government area.
The new program focuses on researching the movements and residency patterns of bull sharks in Sydney Harbour and will be led by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s shark scientists.
Surf Life Saving NSW drones have begun operating at 30 extra beaches including 19 more locations in Sydney and will be in the air seven days a week until the April school holidays.
A total of 461 sharks have been sighted so far in 2025-26 by the drones, which have completed 29,431 flights over 8044 flying hours in that time, according to Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steve Pearce said.
“This new package represents a 90 per cent increase on our current shark surveillance drone program – a significant enhancement that will see more drones flying at popular beaches along our coast, representing an additional 35,000 flying hours from 24 January to 26 April,” Pearce said.
“We know our SLS drones are an effective eye in the sky when it comes to early shark detection and warning beach users.”
Pearce said lifeguards and lifesavers had conducted 170 responses to shark sightings this summer, including beach evacuations and the activation of beach sirens, drone sirens and rescue vessels.
New drone locations include Avalon/Bilgola Headland (covering Avalon, Bilgola and Newport), Mona Vale (covering Mona Vale and Warriewood), North Narrabeen (covering Turimetta and Narrabeen), Collaroy (covering Collaroy and Fishermans), Freshwater Headland (covering Freshwater, North and South Curl Curl), Long Reef, North Steyne (covering North Steyne, Queenscliff and Manly) and Elouera (covering Elouera, Cronulla and North Cronulla).
Sydney is due for a high of 28 degrees in Sydney on Australia Day on Monday but other areas of the state and country are facing fierce heatwave conditions in coming days.
Adelaide is forecast to hit 45 while Melbourne is predicted to reach 43 on Tuesday.
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Chris Barrett is an investigative reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. He is a former South-East Asia correspondent, and chief sports reporter.Connect via Twitter or email.
