NSW grants urgent drone exemption after Coogee shark attack

Urgent exemption for Coogee

NSW has granted Surf Life Saving NSW an urgent exemption to fly drones over Coogee Beach after a shark attack left a woman in her 30s critically injured on Saturday, June 13, 2026.

NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said the move was needed so aerial monitoring could resume over the beach, where drone flights are normally restricted because of Civil Aviation Safety Authority rules and the site's proximity to Sydney Airport flight paths.

The state government said it would work with Surf Life Saving NSW and CASA to try to make the clearance permanent.

Attack and rescue

The attack happened while the woman was swimming between the flags at Coogee, according to reporting cited in the research packet. She suffered serious arm and leg injuries and was taken to St Vincent's Hospital in critical condition.

Authorities closed beaches from Bondi to Maroubra for at least 24 hours after the attack. Reporting also said drone and helicopter surveillance was intensified as part of the response.

One account said investigators suspected a white shark about 3 to 4 metres long, but the species has not been confirmed.

Why the drone move matters

Coogee is one of the Sydney beaches where drone use is more constrained than at other locations because of aviation restrictions. That has made it harder to use a tool that Surf Life Saving NSW and the state have increasingly relied on for shark monitoring.

The exemption allows drones to operate over Coogee immediately, giving lifeguards and authorities another way to watch for sharks after a serious public-safety incident.

Moriarty said the government was taking the incident very, very seriously and that nothing is off the table as NSW reviews shark safety measures.

Wider safety response

The Coogee attack has added pressure on the government to show it can respond quickly after a serious beach injury. Public safety at Sydney beaches is now at the center of the discussion, alongside the question of whether technology-based monitoring can be expanded.

Randwick Council and Surf Life Saving NSW have also been reported as pushing for permanent drone clearances over Coogee and Bondi, reflecting the broader effort to strengthen surveillance along the coast.

The NSW response sits within a wider debate over shark mitigation in the state, including whether drones can offer a better or faster warning system than older methods alone.

What remains unresolved

The shark species remains unconfirmed in the material reviewed, and officials have not set out how long the temporary exemption will last.

Further updates are expected on whether CASA approves a permanent arrangement for Coogee drone operations and whether the woman's condition changes after hospitalization.

For now, the immediate change is operational: drones can return over Coogee while NSW and Surf Life Saving work through the longer-term clearance process.