Latest news with #RyanPark
Times
2 days ago
- General
- Times
‘Cruel' shark nets to be removed from Sydney's beaches
Fifty years after Steven Spielberg's Jaws panicked swimmers and surfers the world over, Sydney is preparing to banish the shark nets that have protected its beaches for nearly nine decades. Under pressure from conservationists who argue that the nets kill hundreds of harmless marine creatures each year, Australia's largest city is preparing to remove them at some of the most popular beaches, potentially including Bondi, in time for the summer. The city will trial the removal of some nets from December and has asked coastline councils to nominate beaches that could take part. 'We know the problems with nets are widespread, in particular around getting other species of marine life caught in those areas,' said Ryan Park, the New South Wales health minister, when announcing the trial on Monday. Sydney had not experienced a fatal shark attack in 59 years until the British national Simon Nellist, 35, was taken by a large great white at Little Bay in the city's south in February 2022. Nellist, a certified diving instructor from Cornwall, was at an unprotected beach. More than 50 beaches in New South Wales are protected by nets that were first installed in 1937 after a decade and a half of repeated shark attacks. In the first year of operation, Sydney's nets snared more than 600 sharks, but the number caught at the most intensively meshed sites has since declined to an average of 140 a year, most of which are released alive. • Swimmer braves shark-infested waters to mark 50 years of Jaws The nets, generally about 150 metres long and six metres high, entangle sharks and other marine creatures that swim into them by chance. However, they were never a foolproof solution, as sharks could still enter shallow waters by swimming under or over the mesh. Pressure to remove the nets has increased after official figures, released in May, showed only 11 per cent of the marine animals caught by them were potentially dangerous sharks, such as great whites. Most of the time the nets trapped harmless marine animals, including dolphins and threatened leatherback turtles. Many popular Australian beaches now use newer technologies to guard against shark attacks. These include placing electronic tags on dangerous sharks that allow their movements to be monitored, shark surveillance drones and 'smart' drum lines — underwater cables that send out alerts when big sharks get snagged so they can be retrieved and released alive offshore. Even shark attack victims have welcomed the move to remove the nets. Dave Pearson, a surfer who survived a severe bull shark attack in 2011, said: 'I'm up for whatever the scientists believe is the best thing to do. Where I surf we have nothing [by way of shark protection].' Pearson founded The Bite Club, an organisation for shark-attack survivors which has 500 members. 'We've all got to learn to use the ocean better and truly understand what is happening out there,' he told reporters at the weekend. But Fred Pawle, a Sydney-based surfing writer, warned that surfers, fishermen and divers were all reporting an increase in shark sightings off the coast of New South Wales. 'So it's not a sensible decision to remove nets. It's deliberately endangering lives in order to pander to Green voters, most of whom never go in the water,' he told Sydney's Daily Telegraph.
ABC News
2 days ago
- ABC News
Health minister sounds alarm over arson attacks after another tobacconist destroyed by fire
The NSW health minister has raised concerns about a string of tobacconists burning down after a business in his local electorate was destroyed in suspicious circumstances at the weekend. About 40 firefighters from Fire and Rescue NSW responded to the blaze which ripped through the Russell Street retail outlet at around 7:00pm on Sunday. Three residents were evacuated from a nearby unit block as firefighters worked to stop the flames spreading to neighbouring buildings. In a statement, police said there were no injuries and the fire was being treated as suspicious. The shop was destroyed. The incident occurred in the local electorate of NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park. The Member for Keira said "alleged arsonists" could be responsible for the blaze. "This is extremely concerning for me both as a local member and as a resident," he said. The fire comes a month after another tobacconist in Ettalong on the NSW Central Coast was destroyed in an arson attack. Mr Park said some tobacco shops had been associated with organised crime. "If we don't get on top of this and we continue to see the proliferation of these stores popping up all over the place, that's bad news for the community and terrible for our local towns," Mr Park said. The incident came just 24 hours after the NSW government announced tougher laws to crack down on the sale of illicit tobacco and vaping goods. Under the new legislation, an offence involving the commercial possession of illicit tobacco carries a maximum fine of more than $1.5 million and up to seven years imprisonment. The changes will also grant health inspectors the authority to close premises found to be in breach of the rules. Mr Park said the new laws were necessary. "That's the type of legislation that we are bringing in, that we have to bring in, because we have to get on top of this issue," he said. Police have urged anyone with information or footage of the incident that might help their investigation to contact Crime Stoppers.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Shark nets could be removed at Bondi Beach as NSW government considers trial
Popular Sydney beaches including Bondi Beach could be in for a major change as the state government considers a trial to remove shark nets. The NSW government has reportedly asked Waverley, Northern Beaches and Central Coast councils to each select a beach to trial the removal of shark nets this summer, The Daily Telegraph revealed. Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast Ryan Park on Sunday called it an opportunity for local councils to use technology, acknowledging 'widespread' issues with the nets. 'We know the problems with nets are widespread, in particular around getting other species of marine life caught in those areas. I know that's been a challenge in my own community,' Mr Park told reporters at a press conference on Sunday morning. 'There's an opportunity for local councils to do that, then with the support of other electronic devices and other information technology initiatives and innovations to try and reduce the ability for sharks to cause damage to humans.' He said the government was working through evidence, but a decision on removing the nets was yet to be made. 'That'll be a decision that we take as a cabinet when we see fit, but it's certainly something that we are looking at,' Mr Park said. 'I know, as a coastal MP, fire and foremost, our priority is keeping our locals and our humans and our visitors safe in the water.' Mr Park said feedback would be sought from local councils, who are 'in charge of essentially looking after our beaches and keeping our people safe'. Over in Waverley, Bondi and Bronte are the only beaches that use shark nets, which could spell a major change for Sydney's most iconic beach. Waverley Mayor Cr Will Nemesh said the council would only support removing the nets if there was a significant increase in other strategies to mitigate sharks. 'Waverley Council's position is clear: the safety of our community comes first,' Mr Nemesh said. 'Ultimately the decision around shark net removal will be a decision of the state government.' A Waverley Council spokesperson said the removal of any shark nets would be conditional on significantly increasing the use of drones and SMART drumlines at the beaches, which would need to be resourced by the state government. 'Waverly Council's submissions on this have been consistent: that safety must come first before any changes in shark nets are made,' the spokesperson said.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
NSW government asks Sydney and Central Coast councils to join trial to remove shark nets
Bondi Beach is among several potential areas along the New South Wales coast that could soon trial the removal of shark nets. The state government this week wrote to Waverley, Northern Beaches and Central Coast councils asking them to join a trial and to nominate a beach where shark nets could be removed. When asked on Sunday, senior government minister Ryan Park said the government was "looking at the data" on shark nets. "I think it's an opportunity for them to use the technology," he said. "We know the problems with nets are widespread, in particular around getting other species of marine life caught in those areas." While admitting the decision is ultimately in the hands of the state government, Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh said should shark nets be removed at Bondi Beach he expected "additional measures" to be funded. Those measures include increased shark drone surveillance and deployment of smart drum lines in place of shark nets. "This is why we are only supportive of shark net removal if there is a significant increase in additional shark mitigation strategies provided for and funded by the state government." Out of the three main beaches in the Waverley Council area — Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama — only Tamarama has no shark nets. The shark net currently in place at Bondi only covers 150 metres of the 1 kilometre stretch of coastline. Northern Beaches Council, which counts popular Manly Beach under its control, said it "welcomed" the move by the government. Bite Club founder Dave Pearson, who survived being attacked by a three-metre bull shark in Crowdy Head in 2011, said he would support what the science said was best. Since forming the club he has amassed a group of more than 500 people who have survived interactions with sharks. "There's 51 beaches that use them [shark nets] and there's 305 smart drum lines and they've been quite effective," he said. "It catches the shark, it doesn't kill it and then it kind of leaves the coast for quite a while. I'm up for whatever the scientists believe is the best thing to do, where I surf we have nothing. "I've tried everything, from camo wetsuits to the fridge magnet you strap to your ankle. I'm keen not to get bitten again, it wasn't a fun experience.
ABC News
17-07-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Patient who waited over 200 days for surgery disappointed with no response from health minister
A patient who waited over 200 days for surgery at Sydney's largest hospital says he is disheartened that he has not received any follow-up from NSW Health Minister Ryan Park since his story was made public. Joshua Maxwell was booked in for an elective open-heart surgery at Westmead Hospital in May 2024, after his body started rejecting medication needed to keep him stroke-free. His surgeon classified him as a category two patient, meaning his surgery should have taken place within 90 days. His surgeon assured him it should not take longer than 45 days. As he waited for his surgery date, Mr Maxwell left his job, drafted a will, and even planned a funeral in case he died while waiting for the life-saving operation. It was not until after he contacted his local state MP, David Harris, that he underwent surgery in late January 2025 — 210 days after he was first added to the list. Mr Park apologised to Mr Maxwell through the media earlier this month, saying the 32-year-old's wait time was "not acceptable". "We let Joshua down," Mr Park said in sit-down interview with the ABC. "It's too long. It's not acceptable, and I apologise to him and his family." But Mr Maxwell said in the two weeks since his story was made public, he has received no follow-up from the minister or hospital management. Mr Maxwell has written a letter to Mr Park, stating he is not "ready to accept any apologies offered". "It's disheartening … I think an apology needs to be made in person or in writing, not via the media," he said. A spokesperson from the health minister's office said Mr Park "will respond to Josh's correspondence in due course". "Minister Park receives a large volume of correspondence and attempts to respond to them as quickly as possible," they said. Earlier this month, Mr Park said wait times in the state's public hospital system were keeping him up at night, and that he was serious about tackling the issue. He pointed to a decrease in surgery list wait times in May, with the number of patients decreasing from 8,587 to 5,400 in May. This year's state budget also allocated $23 million to tackle overdue surgeries, helping to fund extra staffing required to keep operating theatres open. But Mr Maxwell said the lack of contact from the minister made him question the sincerity of Mr Park's commitment. "It's clearly a massive statewide issue and taking it seriously needs to be more than just making a few statements in the press and going back to your office and going, 'here, staffer number two, you deal with it now'," Mr Maxwell said. In his letter to Mr Park, he called for clearer prioritisation of surgeons' wait time preferences and a statewide patient care team for patients on longer public wait lists, doing weekly or monthly checks with patients. "I would happily meet with you, your team, the department, or the hospital to discuss these matters — especially to better understand what went wrong in my case and why no one has addressed it with me personally," Mr Maxwell wrote.
