Sydney to Use Drones for Monitoring Beaches and Parks

Another one of the pandemics presents, this summer if you go to the beach or for a walk in parks, be prepared to be watched. 

Surf Life Saving New South Wales has decided to use drones to monitor all beaches across Sydney in order to ensure that people are following COVID-19 guidelines. The drones have already taken over the sky around the weekend and are expected to be out until further notice. The drones will also monitor parks and send real-time information to councils, which will then act on it and hand out fines if required.

To keep people up to date with the latest information, the Beach Safe website and app will give users a real-time check of the capacity and if the area has been closed. Some of Sydney’s well-known beaches are currently included in the initial drone trials. More beaches and parks in the state will have drones flying above them if the current tests are successful and prove to be useful.

Michael Regan, Council Mayor, Northern Beaches said in a statement that the partnership is a critical part of Sydney’s summer COVID safety operations. He mentioned that the aim is to keep the popular beaches and parks open so locals and visitors alike can enjoy them to the fullest this summer. Steven Pearce, CEO, Surf Life Saving NSW CEO added that authorities do not want to close the beaches, so they will be required to get as much information on beach attendance as possible in order to keep everyone safe before they head down to the beach and find it is closed.

He shared that drones have become an indispensable tool in Surf Life Saving operations. He mentioned that drones provide important beach attendance information to councils and police who make beach access decisions, as well as help in marine creature surveillance, search and rescue operations, and spot beach hazards such as rips.

Edited by: Joe Cusmano