Port Stephens-Hunter Police District is promising to keep the region’s beaches safer, and enjoyable for all, over the school holiday period.
The vow follows a successful campaign, Operation Safer Sands 2026, which took place at Stockton Beach, Worimi Conservation Lands and Samurai Beach at the weekend.
Officers from the Highway Patrol Nelson Bay sector, as well as Newcastle and Maitland, joined National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) personnel for the joint agency undertaking.
It also included the deployment of three unmarked 4WDs, a Highway Patrol vehicle and two trail bikes.
As a result of the crusade, they engaged with 1,259 people in relation to beach safety.
The team checked 437 vehicles, too, and conducted 112 and 35 random breath and drug tests respectively.
And, the outcome was surprising.
“We handed out 21 general traffic infringements,” an NSW Police spokesperson said.
“On top of that, there was one seatbelt offence, one speeding felony (20kh/h over the limit) and one reckless driving transgression, along with 29 breaches of permit conditions.
“So, we’ll continue with Operation Safer Sands throughout summer.”
Port Stephens-Hunter Police District was kept busy over Christmas-New Year as well.
On this occasion, they teamed up with NPWS, Mid-North Coast Council, NSW Department of Primary Industries and trail bike units in the Tea Gardens sector, encompassing Hawks Nest, Karuah, Myall Lakes National Park and waterways.
While focusing on community engagement, education and compliance enforcement, they also performed 633 Random Breath Tests (RBTs), 60 boat inspections and 22 public interactions.
There were 11 infringements recorded, from helmet to registration offences, with another four cautions handed out.
The officers oversaw six Random Drug Tests (RDTs), too, with one person testing positive for methamphetamine.
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