The NSW Opposition has called into question the current effectiveness and the future viability of the State Government’s current Shark Meshing ‘Bather Protection’ Program.
Government appointed contractors failed to install shark nets at busy beaches on time and lied about maintaining existing nets, according to documents obtained by NSW Labor under Government Information Public Access ‘GIPA’ laws. The documents have uncovered years of “gaffes and stuff ups” under the Government’s shark meshing protection program, including contract breaches by Central Coast operators between 2014 and 2016. The documents revealed that in 2014 and 2015, a Government contractor had failed to install the nets on time. The documents also found that a Government-appointed contractor failed to maintain nets at Macmasters, Copacabana, North Avoca, and Terrigal beaches in 2014.
“During the period September 15 to 23, 2014, a total of 18 haul and sets were not carried out on beaches” a letter from the Department of Primary Industries to one Central Coast shark net contractor said. ‘On September 15, 2014, fisheries officers found the nets at the following beaches all to be in unsatisfactory condition with large holes in them: Killcare, MacMasters, Copacabana, North Avoca, Terrigal, The Entrance and Soldiers Beach…Fisheries officers found the Avoca net not to be set’.
‘However, a net which was heavily tangled and attached to a float that had heavy growth on it was found in the area…you were seen to navigate through this area and not conduct a haul and set on any net at this location’. On September 15, 2014, fisheries officers found two tangled nets were located at Terrigal and Soldiers Beaches. “These appeared to be lost nets.” The contractor fudged the number of maintenance checks to the Department of Primary Industries, according to the documents. “Your monthly log states that you worked the Umina, Killcare, Macmasters and Copacabana nets on Thursday, September 18, 2014. “However, fisheries officers observations confirm that on this day, your vessel did not leave its mooring.” One letter said the contractor had been paid $200.19 per set, totalling a payment for work not completed of $3,616.38. The ongoing failures by the Government’s contractors have also included unethical and dangerous behaviour including fist fights between staff members whilst at sea and throwing rubbish into the ocean, according to Mr Mick Veitch, NSW Shadow Minister for Primary Industries.
The correspondence from the Department to the contractors made it clear that these incidents involved contractors on the Central Coast, as recently as July 2016. “Contractors are hired by the Government to roll out its annual shark meshing program that aims to protect swimmers and surfers along busy stretches of the NSW coastline,” Mr Veitch said. The Department, according to the GIPA documents, expects the contractors to have their nets in place from the fi rst day of the summer season to the fi nal day. They are also required to inspect each net every 72 hours. According to the documents, contractors were failing to do so in 2015. NSW Labor is demanding the Berejiklian Government urgently review the performance of its shark meshing contractors.
“These private contractors are hired by the Government to protect beachgoers, yet these secret documents show that there are inherent failures in the current system. “The Government has known that there were risks to public safety but they failed to notify the community about what was going on”Mr Veitch said. “Contractors failing to do their job is an unacceptable situation. “The Minister needs to step in and give the community assurances that this will never happen again.” Mr Veitch said the Shark Meshing Program was a public safety measure introduced in 1937 and that more money needs to be spent on better ways to protect beach users.
“The technology has changed since 1937 and, although Labor supports the program today, there has to be a better way to protect the public,” he said. Shadow Minister for the Central Coast, Mr David Harris, said: “The Government has broken the public’s trust by failing to keep the beach loving Central Coast community safe in the water. “The Government should be managing its contractors and have the highest standards in place. “The fact that these kinds of stuff ups are even happening is astounding,” he said.
Media release, Feb 5, 2017 Maegen Sykes, office of Mick Veitch GIPA documents, Feb 7, 2017 Stephen Fenn, office of Mick Veitch