The fatal shark attack on a surfer at Long Reef on Saturday 6 September has left in its wake shock, grief and anxiety across the northern beaches community. For those connected to Mercury Psillakis, the victim of the attack, it was a devastating personal loss. For the whole surfing community, across all ages, there is a level of collective fear about going back into the water, which they have never ever felt before. I acknowledge everyone who has been impacted by this horrific event—in particular Merc's family, the Long Reef Boardriders Association, nearby Dee Why Surfing Fraternity community, and those fellow surfers who bravely pulled Mercury out of the water on the day of the attack.

In response to this tragedy, I call on the New South Wales Government to take a clear step to increase safety and help restore confidence for surfers and their families. Based on community feedback, I encourage the Government to prioritise increasing shark surveillance. I have been presented with a compelling proposal by Surfing NSW to boost shark surveillance capacity. Surfing NSW is the State sporting organisation for surfing. It manages Olympic pathways as well as 125 local clubs and 50 surf school operators. I think its cost-effective proposal has real merit, and I urge the Government to fund it as soon as possible.

The proposal has two components: firstly, a statewide drone uplift to equip 60 additional clubs with drones for use during club activities and competitions—which is approximately 10,000 to 12,000 coastal flights per year—and accreditation of 120 to 180 volunteer community pilots; and, secondly, a 12-month trial for two Surfing NSW branded jet skis to spot and deter sharks for use in junior inter-club events and high-risk rounds identified by the Department of Primary Industries [DPI] in off-patrol periods. The proposal builds on an existing successful New South Wales Government-funded program, delivered by Surfing NSW, which has supplied drones to 50 boardrider clubs since 2022 and trained 81 pilots.

At least 165,000 surfer surveillance hours are being completed by Surfing NSW clubs and schools across the State. This program has been focused in regional areas. No club on the northern beaches has drones capacity right now. Surf Life Saving NSW does run drone shark surveillance on the northern beaches but only during spring, summer and autumn school holiday periods. Seventy per cent of the activity by boardrider clubs on the northern beaches occurs outside the traditional surf lifesaving patrol season. That trend is similar across the entire State, also taking place in unpatrolled beaches from dawn to dusk. Just 400 metres from the fatal attack, the Northern Beaches Junior Teams Challenge—a sanctioned Surfing NSW event run by volunteers from Long Reef Boardriders for around 80 under-18 surfers—went ahead without access to drones or on-water personal watercraft safety because Surfing NSW had to prioritise its limited resources for regional areas.

There is a significant gap in shark surveillance capacity for the surfing community. Surfing NSW is organised, having proven its capacity to deliver its service on a voluntary basis, benefiting surfers and all beach users. Surfing, as a grassroots organised sport, is growing. We have a 2025 world surfing champion from New South Wales in Molly Picklum and an Olympic bronze medallist in Owen Wright. Participation is booming across clubs and surf schools, so we must lift the community's capacity to keep itself safe. On the northern beaches alone, there are 22 boardrider clubs. Those clubs are active in organising the local surfing community, running competitions all year round and weekly training sessions, and providing support for young surfers to develop water safety skills. Front of mind for me are the kids heading out regularly for organised boardrider club training and competitions. Targeted drone surveillance capacity would help bring peace of mind for them and their parents so they can focus on the sport and environment they love.

I acknowledge the paddle-out event at Long Reef beach on Saturday 27 September to honour Mercury's life. Hundreds of people—probably thousands, to be fair—gathered together in the water and on shore to honour and remember Mercury. It was the largest paddle-out the northern beaches has ever seen. I can attest to that, having been present at the moving event. The event was led by his twin brother, Mike, and organised by Natasha Gee, president of the Long Reef Boardriders Association. Processing a tragedy like this, collectively and individually, is so challenging. The Dee Why and Long Reef surfing community has shown real grace, strength and sensitivity in their response. I thank them, particularly Natasha Gee, for their leadership in bringing people together to grieve, celebrate, connect and start healing.