Politicians from across the parliamentary divide have sounded the alarm on "wall of death" shark netting as the NSW government confirms the century-old technology will return to beaches.
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The move could stymie Labor's parliamentary agenda as key members of the cross bench flagged they could withhold support for other bills if the government ignored environmental concerns.
Official data shows the nets catch few targeted white and tiger sharks and that most animals caught, including turtles, are threatened or protected species.
Several coastal councils and conservation groups have called for non-lethal shark management alternatives to permanently replace the nets, which are installed at beaches from Newcastle to Wollongong between September and the end of April each year.
Other measures include drones, so-called smart drumlines and alert systems that are already used at multiple beaches.
Premier Chris Minns said he was not confident emerging shark protection technology was ready to replace nets at some of the country's most popular beaches from next Friday.
On Wednesday, he confirmed the nets would be in place next month, although he left the door open for discussions about their use in future summers.
"We're looking closely at the emerging technology and I think it's a good ambition to remove (nets) from popular city beaches," he said.
"But we're not going to get rushed into it.
"When it comes to the safety of people that recreate or surf at Sydney beaches I need to make sure that we're completely satisfied it's the appropriate decision."
Mr Minns' comments came as a group of MPs from across the political spectrum joined Sea Shepherd and other conservation groups to call for the immediate introduction of alternative measures.
Greens MP Cate Faehrmann said it was disappointing the government had decided to roll out shark nets this summer given the known impact on marine life.
She indicated her party would consider withholding their backing in the upper house for key elements of the government's agenda if there was no change.
"You cannot continue to take our support for granted if you continue to act against the interests of the environment," she said.
Liberal backbencher Adam Crouch, who represents Terrigal on the Central Coast, said residents wanted smart drumlines rather than nets.
"Our community agrees they don't want to see turtles, dolphins and other innocent marine life caught in these walls of death that literally provide a false sense of security," he said.
Opposition environment spokeswoman Kellie Sloane, whose Vaucluse electorate includes Bondi Beach, said she would like to see the end of shark nets, but that could not happen without further investment in smart technologies.
"I have concerns about the vast by-catch of marine life, including dolphins, turtles and other species," she said.
Yearly government data has repeatedly shown shark nets catch few of their target species.
Only 24 of the 228 animals caught in the 2022/23 netting season were targeted white and tiger sharks.
The former coalition government introduced smart drumlines at some beaches in northern NSW.
The technology allows target species to be caught, tagged and relocated further offshore.
Australian Associated Press
