Wollongong City Council reported that it spent over $44,000 to retrieve and dispose of a juvenile humpback whale that drowned after becoming entangled in a shark net off Coledale last month. The 4.7-ton whale washed ashore at Scarborough Beach on October 27, prompting a complex recovery operation.

A council report detailed the challenges faced during the operation, which involved specialist contractors, cranes, and trucks, all while staff worked in heavy surf with sharks nearby. Although the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority waived part of the waste levy, the total cost of the operation exceeded $44,000. A necropsy conducted by Taronga's Australian Registry of Wildlife Health indicated that the whale likely drowned due to entanglement in shark netting managed by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

The council's general manager has reached out to Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty for reimbursement, but the minister's office has not yet received the request. The council had previously requested the removal of the nets in 2021.

The whale's death sparked intense debate in the NSW Upper House. Greens MLC Cate Faehrmann criticized the government for not ending the shark-net programs, which she described as outdated and harmful to marine life. She characterized the recovery operation as dangerous, noting that staff had to navigate slippery rocks while sharks circled nearby. "There were also shark fishers that had come to the area, trying to capture the sharks to put on Instagram," she added.

Faehrmann labeled the drowning of the whale as a predictable outcome and urged the government to permanently remove the nets from the state's beaches to prevent further incidents. "It is going to have more blood on its hands," she warned. Animal Justice Party MLC Emma Hurst echoed these sentiments, stating that the nets do not protect human life and called for improved community education and funding for more lifesavers.

In response, Minister Moriarty mentioned that the government is testing new shark-mitigation technologies, including smart drum lines and drone surveillance, but emphasized the need to ensure their effectiveness before completely phasing out the nets. She noted that the government had already shortened the annual netting season and removed nets a month earlier last summer.

Faehrmann pressed Moriarty to reimburse Wollongong Council for the recovery costs, but the minister did not directly address the issue.

Councillor Jess Whittaker expressed her support for the council's efforts to seek reimbursement, calling the costs "astronomical" given the tight budget constraints. She argued that the netting program was responsible for the whale's death and criticized the government's management of the situation. "As soon as it hit the shore, it became the council's responsibility under legislation. I just think it's really unfair that the government mismanaged this so poorly, and we are left to cover the costs," she said.

Whittaker acknowledged that while shark nets provide some protection for swimmers, they also act as a "marine culling device." She urged politicians to make evidence-based decisions rather than succumbing to public fear of sharks. "We need a grown-up conversation about nature and our relationship with the ocean," she stated, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach to community safety and environmental stewardship.