World News – AU – Drones monitoring Sydney’s beaches from today to enforce social distancing

Drones will start monitoring Sydney’s beaches from today to enforce social distancing and help residents avoid crowds.

Drones will be used to monitor visitor numbers to more than two dozen of Sydney’s most popular northern beaches and parks starting Saturday to prevent overcrowding and ensure they are safe from the coronavirus..

The four-month beta starts on November 14 and is a partnership between Surf Life Saving NSW (SLS NSW) and the Northern Beaches Council (NBC).

Introduced before what is expected to be one of the busiest summers recorded on Sydney Beaches.

One of the drones that will be used during the summer to keep beachgoers and park visitor lockers hovering over Manly Beach.. Photo: Supplied / Northern Shores Board Source: Provider

The drones will provide SLS NSW and NBC authorities with real-time information on the number of beachgoers in popular destinations to avoid overcrowding.

Among the many beaches to be watched, the inner seaside suburb of Manly is one of the 21 beaches to watch..

The experience will cover parks and reserves including Clontarf, Apex Park, Mona Vale and Governor Phillip Park.

Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Stephen Pearce and Mayor of Northern Beaches, Michael Reagan explain how drones will keep beaches and parks safe from COVID. Photo: Supplied / Northern Shores Board Source: Provider

The mayor of the Northern Shores Council, Michael Reagan, said the joint initiative was aimed at keeping people safe during the pandemic and avoiding overcrowding on beaches.

“Our goal is to keep our famous beaches and parks open so that locals and visitors alike can enjoy them to the fullest this summer..

“By using this real-time data, we can manage our public spaces more effectively and reduce the risk of COVID to beachgoers..

With international travel excluded this summer, prospective state visitors and local holiday makers will flock to the cherished beaches of New South Wales Photo: Supplied Source: News Corp Australia

The information will also be uploaded to the Beachside website and app to allow beach goers to easily identify less crowded beaches before leaving home with the push of a button on their cell phone..

Surf Life Saving rangers are using drones to aid in rescue operations, but they will now be value-added and provide high-quality data to allow beach goers to make an informed decision about which beach is the safest to head to.

Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Stephen Pearce said the use of drones will keep beaches and public spaces open during the summer, and most importantly, the Northern Beaches community is safe due to COVID.

The data will also be available to police, who can steer people away from crowded beaches.

“In addition to providing important information on beach attendance for councils and police who make decisions to get ashore, our drones are used to monitor marine organisms, search and rescue operations, and identify beach hazards such as rupture..

« We’ve worked with councils on smart ways to keep the beaches open this summer ahead of the mega season off the coast of NSW..

“Nobody wants to close the beaches, especially the surfers, so the more information we can provide people with about beach attendance, before they reach the sand, to find that it is approaching the safe presence limits due to COVID, the better.

The new Beach & Park Observation Service experience will begin with weekends and public holidays beginning today (Nov.14) at 25 locations on NBC Beach and Parks.

Daily monitoring will start from December 21 and return to weekends and public holidays only from January 31 before ending on February 28..

A ranger keeps a close watch on busy Manly Beach. Drones will help monitor crowd numbers at more than 20 beaches in northern NSW during the summer. Photo: Supplied Source: News Corp Australia

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