How Queensland's aerospace industry is keeping you safer at the beach

You may not immediately equate Queensland’s world-class aerospace industry with beach safety, but thanks to some smart technology backed by the Queensland Government, the coastal lifestyle many of us love is now safer than ever.

Nothing says Queensland lifestyle more than enjoying a swim in one of our many incredible beaches. Likewise, nothing gets you out of the water faster than the thought of a shark enjoying a swim next to you.

To ensure the safety of Queenslanders at the beach, along with the safety of the many visitors from interstate and overseas, the Queensland Government has invested $7.75 million over four years to deliver a trial of shark-spotting drones across some of our most popular beaches.

In partnership with Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ), Phase 1 of the SharkSmart drone trial launched in South East Queensland in September 2020, expanding to include North Queensland in 2021.

During the trial, drones monitored the water to detect sharks and gather data on shark movements and behaviour. If a dangerous shark was spotted, drone pilots notified the life savers on patrol to warn water users and temporarily close the beach if needed.

A total of 3,669 drone flights were conducted during the trial, covering 1,468km, with 174 sharks sighted, including 48 large sharks estimated at over 2m in length.

On four occasions, locations at Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) and Burleigh Beach were temporarily closed to manage the risk to swimmers. Additionally, the drones were used to rescue swimmers from rips and to assist with missing person searches, highlighting their value as a holistic beach safety tool.

SLSQ Chief Executive Officer Dave Whimpey says the drones had already proved to be useful as both a shark mitigation tool and to aid the work of surf lifesavers.

“Shark spotting drones are a 21st century solution that gives our lifesavers more capacity to spot and monitor sharks thereby enhancing the safety of water users,” he says.

The trial will continue until 2025 across locations in the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Minjerribah, Rainbow Beach and Townsville.

Queensland’s aerospace industry is flying high

This is just one of the many successes of Queensland’s aerospace industry. Aerospace has been identified as one of Queensland’s priority industries which is playing an important role in diversifying Queensland’s economy and ensuring Queenslanders have access to the jobs of the future.

We’re positioning the Sunshine State to be recognised as a leading centre in Australia and Southeast Asia for aerospace innovation in areas such as:

• training
• niche manufacturing
• aircraft technology
• maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO)
• uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), and
• sustainable aviation fuels

Find out more about our achievements on our dedicated Aerospace Homepage.