SHARK nets off the city's beaches would be removed in favour of other mitigation measures if the state government adopts Newcastle council's input towards a new management strategy.
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The council endorsed a motion (10-1) at its ordinary meeting on Tuesday night to support the removal of the traditional nets in favour of technology-based alternatives.
Sharks nets, which have been used in NSW since the 1930s, are installed at 51 beaches between Newcastle and Wollongong between September 1 and April 30.
The state government trialed a range of other mitigation measures over five years as part of a recently concluded $16 million Shark Management Strategy, including the use of drones, helicopters, listening stations and SMART drumlines.
A new strategy is being developed and on behalf of the NSW Department of Primary Industries, the University of Wollongong and Charles Sturt University are conducting a survey on preferred strategies.
Cr John Mackenzie (GRN) moved a motion proposing the council respond and support the removal of nets "in favour of increased drone surveillance, SMART drumlines, and trials of additional non-lethal measures".
The council's director city wide services backed the proposal in a recommendation to councillors, but added a reference stipulating "shark mitigation is the responsibility of the NSW government".
Shark nets used along the coast are 150-metres long, four to six metres high and set in about 10 to 12 metres of water 500 metres offshore, Cr Mackenzie said.
He added they were "not a barrier to the open sea" and their coverage was "not comprehensive" given beaches they are used at are often much longer.
"They provide nothing more than a false sense of security," he said.
"Not only are the shark nets unable to provide public safety, they take a significant toll on marine wildlife."
The Newcastle Herald reported in March that more than 80 per cent of 379 sharks caught in nets off Hunter and Central Coast beaches between 2009 and 2019 died before they could be released. The nets also caught 510 rays, 13 dolphins, 32 turtles and 10 fin fish.
Numerous environmental groups have ramped up campaigns to end the use of shark nets in recent years.
Wollongong City Council unanimously voted to oppose their use in favour of other measures last week. Northern Beaches Council was due to vote on a motion on Tuesday night but staff there had proposed keeping the nets.
Cr Brad Luke (LIB) said he was "torn" about the proposal being an avid diver but couldn't support the motion as he "hadn't seen the evidence yet that the other alternatives are as good".
"The simple fact is, shark netting ... is incredibly inefficient because of the other marine life that gets caught in it," he said.
"But netted beaches rarely have a shark attack."
Labor lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said it felt like the state government was "heading down a path" that shifted the costs of shark mitigation to councils.
Cr Mackenzie said he "didn't want to be bitten by a shark, no one does" but the technology-based alternatives had drastically improved in recent years.
Only Cr Luke voted against the motion.
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