News

On the first weekend in August, Emma Gale from Hunter Branch attended a Volunteer Leadership Program, held by the Australian Institute of Disaster Resilience (AIDR) in Newcastle. As a Branch UAV Coordinator, Emma is always keen to improve engagement and retention of the volunteer UAV pilots and operators, and this program provided her with some insight, knowledge, and new ideas to implement. 

On the first weekend in August, Emma Gale from Hunter Branch attended a Volunteer Leadership Program, held by the Australian Institute of Disaster Resilience (AIDR) in Newcastle. As a Branch UAV Coordinator, Emma is always keen to improve engagement and retention of the volunteer UAV pilots and operators, and this program provided her with some insight, knowledge, and new ideas to implement. 

In early July, Paul Hardy and Emily Francis travelled to Japan to provide UAV OIP Training to a group of volunteers from the Japan Lifesaving Association. This marked the first time in over 30 years that the association had international trainers.

In June, the Long Range UAV Trials took place in Evans Head. Four vendors showcased their cutting-edge UAVs and participated in a series of rigorous tests. The trials encompassed a wide range of scenarios, including shark spotting, fire spotting, and search and rescue missions both inland and on water.

AUAVS is excited this year to have introduced the annual AUAVS Awards, our annual recognition program honouring outstanding individuals in the field of UAV operations. The awards aim to acknowledge members who demonstrate exceptional conduct, performance, and adherence to safety protocols. They embody our service objectives and uphold the core beliefs of Surf Life Saving NSW.

The management team took some time to visit the casual pilots who were on duty at various beaches in Sydney, South Coast, and Central Coast. It was great to see everyone in action during the autumn operating period, and the team thoroughly enjoyed saying hello and catching up with everyone.

The Australian UAV Service (AUAVS) run a yearly internal survey which asks forty (40) questions of those involved in SLSNSW UAV programs. This survey was posted in February and closed in late February. This is a key way we engage and listen to the thoughts of our members (volunteers and staff), and we're very pleased to outline the results of this survey.

The NSW Government has invested over $85 million until 2026 to continue rolling out successfully trialled shark mitigation technologies along the NSW coastline. Each year, the NSW Government checks in with beach users, coastal councils and other key stakeholders to understand community sentiment and confidence in the NSW Shark Management Program.

As we roll into the new year it’s a great time to reflect on the achievements of the one gone by and pull together some key statistics that are made possible by our volunteers and staff. The AUAVS had a hugely productive 2022 and we saw a significant increase in all aspects of flying operations.