Personal shark repellents that give surfers and swimmers the confidence to go back into the water will be the focus of a new Baird government technology grant.
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This summer, NSW appears to have largely avoided the spate of shark attacks that marred previous swimming seasons, after the government committed to a $16 million shark management strategy.
It has included trials of shark-detecting drones, sonar buoys, and real-time tracking of shark movements, as well as extending traditional aerial surveillance at beaches.
But a high-tech barrier planned for Ballina, the site of previous shark attacks, has encountered protests from surfers and difficulties with shifting sands, and is yet to be deployed.
Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair said there is "no one solution to detecting and deterring sharks", which is why the government wants to fund emerging technologies.
"We want technology developers, researchers, educational institutions, businesses and individuals to put their hand up for funding to develop a range of technologies for shark mitigation, in particular personal protective devices."
A total of $200,000 in grants is being offered to develop local or international projects.
An independent review into shark protection conducted for the NSW government in 2015 found personal deterrents, which spanned electrical, magnetic or chemical devices, "should remain at the forefront of strategies for protecting surfers" because they frequently chose less crowded surfing locations at dawn and dusk.
It advised surfers to choose a product that had undergone independent scientific trialling. CHOICE warned earlier this year that many devices now being marketed hadn't been independently tested.
The research grants will also consider funding projects that shed light on shark biology that is relevant to interaction with humans, and the "socio-economics" of shark encounters.
Ten 4G listening stations have been installed on the North Coast between Ballina and Kingscliff, with another 10 listening stations to come.
A barrier net will be installed in the second half of the year at Lennox Head.
A third trial of drones versus helicopter surveillance was conducted in Port Macquarie this week.
