Before the fatal shark attack at Sydney's Little Bay Beach yesterday, actress Marcia Hathaway was the last person to be killed by a shark in the city in 1963.

The well-known Sydney actress was fatally mauled by a bull shark in Middle Harbour on January 28, 1963, after jumping off a boat on the clear 30C day, 59 years ago.

Ms Hathaway, 32, was standing in the murky water only 30 inches deep and about six metres from the shore in Sugarloaf Bay when she was attacked.

READ MORE: 'We heard a yell, it looked like a car had landed in the water'

The 32-year-old told her fiance: "I am not in pain. Don't worry about me, dear. God will look after me" seconds before she died, as her friends attempted to rush her to hospital.

The woman, who lived in Greenaway Flats at Milson's Point, had been on a picnic and boating with six friends at the time.

Her fiance, Frederick Knight, fought the shark with his hands and feet, wrestling with it as it tried to drag Ms Hathaway into the water.

"We had been swimming about in shallow water and I remember telling Marcia not to go out too far," he told the Sydney Morning Herald at the time.

"Then I heard her scream. She said she thought she had been attacked by an octopus.

"I went to her and tried to drag her from the shark. It seemed like 10 minutes to me while we struggled, but it could only have been a couple of minutes."

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The shark almost tore off the woman's leg and she died 20 minutes later from her critical injuries.

An ambulance arrived, but because of the steep hill leading up to the water's edge and the slippery surface, the clutch of the ambulance burnt out, which led to about 30 people desperately trying to push the vehicle up the hill.

"The water was stained with blood and I never thought I would get her away from it. I think at one stage I had my foot in its mouth. It felt soft and spongy," Mr Knight said.

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"I'm not too clear what happened. It happened so fast and I could not see much in the water.

"I tried to reassure Marcia and told her that the shark had just brushed past her.

"But she knew a short time after that she was dying."

Ms Hathaway's fiance and two other friends were later treated at the Mater Misericordia Hospital for shock.

There were 12 shark attacks recorded in Australia in 2021, three of those being fatal.

Yesterday's shark attack has shocked Sydney after human remains were found about 4.30pm at Little Bay Beach near Malabar.

Witnesses were left reeling after Sydney's first fatal shark attack in almost 60 years took place just metres from other swimmers yesterday.

A man was killed at Little Bay Beach when the shark attacked yesterday afternoon.

The victim has not been identified and the search for the shark is ongoing.

READ MORE: Search continues for killer shark after Sydney attack

"Out of nowhere we just heard like, 'Agh' And something came up and, yeah, it was just a big shark in the air, totally airborne, hit the guy very, very quick," one witness told 9News.

"Came back down and we realised it was a shark attack on a swimmer. Just 10 metres off the rocks. We couldn't do anything about it."

Another witness said sharks at the beach were known to "come out of nowhere".

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Kris Linto, who also saw the attack, claimed the shark had been about 4.5 metres long.

"(The person) was swimming and a shark came and attacked (them) vertically," Mr Linto said.

"We heard a yell and turned around, it looked like a car had landed in the water, a big splash then the shark.

"It was really bad."

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Surf Life Saving NSW volunteers will be helping police and Department of Primary Industries officials continue the search for the shark today.

"This is a terrible tragedy, the first fatal shark incident in Sydney for decades. Our thoughts are with the man's family and friends," said SLSNSW President George Shales.

The organisation's CEO, Steven Pearce, said the attack had been "particularly horrific" for witnesses given its closeness to a rock shelf.

"We had our Life Savers helicopter on the scene within minutes," he told Ben Fordham on 2GB.

"When they arrived, there was nothing they could do."

Although some bull sharks had recently been tagged by the Department of Primary Industries near the attack area, Mr Pearce said the species was still unknown.

But, he said, judging by witness reports, "it's a huge shark".

"When we decide to go into the water, we have to remember it is their domain," he said.

"(But) what happened yesterday, it makes everyone sick just thinking about it."

Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said the community was in shock.

"The coast is our community's backyard," Mr Parker said.

"Little Bay is normally such a calm, beautiful place enjoyed by families.

"To lose someone to a shark attack like this is chilling. We are all in shock.

"Our entire community's hearts go out to the family of the victim."

Beaches around Sydney will remain closed for at least most of today.

Human remains have been found after a suspected shark attack in Sydney's south-east.

Emergency services responded to reports a swimmer had been attacked by a shark at Little Bay Beach near Malabar about 4.30pm today.

Officers found human remains in the water.

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Witnesses said they heard the swimmer yelling.

"Some guy was swimming and a shark came and attacked him vertically," Kris Linto, a witness, said.

"We heard a yell and turned around it looked like a car had landed in the water, a big splash then the shark was chomping at the body and there was blood everywhere."

"It was really bad."

Mr Linto claimed he saw a 4.5-metre great white shark attack the swimmer.

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NSW Ambulance Inspector Lucky Phrachanh said the swimmer could not be saved.

"Unfortunately, this person had suffered catastrophic injuries as a result of the attack and there was nothing paramedics could do when we arrived on scene," he said.

Little Bay Beach has been closed as police search the area.

Police will liaise with the Department of Primary Industry to investigate the circumstances of the death.

A report will be prepared for the Coroner.

Mining magnate Clive Palmer has taken the stand to give evidence at his defamation hearing against Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan.

The pair have been involved in an ongoing war of words since 2020 over border closures, COVID-19 restrictions and potential treatments for the virus.

One of the allegedly defamatory comments by Mr McGowan was in response to Mr Palmer buying $30 million worth of the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine in 2020.

READ MORE: WA border closure 'right thing to do', McGowan says

"He wanted to come to WA to promote hydroxychloroquine as some sort of cure for COVID," Mr McGowan said at the time.

"Not only is it not a cure, it's dangerous."

Today Mr Palmer, who is staying on his boat Australia in Sydney Harbour for the duration of the trial, told the court the comments were unfair.

"It was the equivalent of suggesting I was a drug dealer," he said.

Four days after his initial comments, Mr McGowan upped the stakes as Mr Palmer continually complained about Western Australia's hard border.

"We're in a war with Clive Palmer and it's a war we intend to win," the WA Premier said in August 2020.

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Mr Palmer said today: "I didn't think WA had the power to declare war on anyone… I felt it spelled sayonara for me and my companies."

The spat between the two men got so bad Mr Palmer said he feared for his safety and that of his family.

He also claimed he believed the WA Premier could kill him without being prosecuted.

"It just got too much for me, I ended up vomiting wondering what we could do," he told the court.

In court, Mr McGowan's high-profile lawyer Bret Walker repeatedly accused the mining boss of lying and giving silly answers on the stand, and at one point Mr Palmer hit back at the barrister and told him: "I don't need you to tell me what I understand."

Outside court this afternoon, Mr Palmer said he had been painted as a villain by the Western Australian leader.

"I have no ill will towards Mark McGowan or his family, but Mark was very successful at the last state election, and he basically did that by making me Dr Evil in Western Australia," he said.

When asked about the case today, Mr McGowan said: "Look, it's before the courts, and I can't comment on it. I'm obviously required to give evidence next week.

If you're a household of four and paying more than $486 a quarter for electricity, it could be time to switch.

Energy bills have traditionally been going down in the past two years but like a home loan, it can pay to change providers.

Most people get complacent and stay with their energy company for an average of 11 years, Canstar Blue found, even though they don't really know whether they're getting a good deal.

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Only 12 per cent of the population has switched energy providers in the past two years but three in five of them say it was a good financial decision.

According to Canstar Blue data:

• Almost 80 per cent admit they don't understand their local energy market
• More than 60 per cent don't know what their usage and supply rates are
• More than 40 per cent don't know what tariff they're on
• Although they can't really be sure they're getting a good deal, Aussies spend 11 years on average with their energy provider
• Almost 60 per cent who do switch providers, though, say it proved to be a good financial decision
• The average quarterly electricity bill is $344, but for a household of four, the average goes up to $486 per quarter
• Only 12 per cent have switched in the past two years
• The energy providers that have the most satisfied customers aren't the cheapest

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Following 12 months of research, Canstar Blue has rated the energy providers in each state.

In NSW, Red Energy came out on top, scoring top marks for overall satisfaction, value for money, customer service, bill and cost clarity, ease of sign up, focus on environmental sustainability and online tools and advice.

Red Energy is owned by Snowy Hydro.

AGL and Energy Australia ranked the lowest of the six providers, falling down on overall satisfaction, value for money and customer service.

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Canstar Blue CEO Megan Doyle told 9News it pays to shop around.

"It really does pay to check in on the market… at least every two years," she said.

"The smaller new players in the market are really quite aggressive on price."

While price was the main consideration for most people, others chose their provider based on different factors including payment flexibility, call centre availability and loyalty programs.

Switching providers can usually be done online within minutes.

The information provided on this website is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice. The information has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information on this website you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

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Three people have faced court accused of extortion after detectives seized designer clothes and shoes valued at $150,000 in Sydney's west.

An investigation was launched in July last year after a 34-year-old man claimed he had allegedly been extorted, robbed and assaulted by a group of men.

Police allege the incidents took place at a home in Tregear between July 2020 and March 2021, with the man also seriously assaulted by a group of men — including one carrying a pipe — in Londonderry in October 2020.

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A woman who was known to the man allegedly faced violent threats on several occasions and the man had a restored 1982 VH Holden Commodore and 2012 Harley Davidson V Rod motorcycle taken.

They are yet to be recovered.

As part of investigations, police executed a search warrant at properties on Cypress Drive, Yarrawonga, on January 24 this year where a pistol, two rifles, a shotgun, various ammunition, cannabis and cash was seized.

The 50-year-old male occupant was charged with firearm offences and remains before the courts.

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Police also executed search warrants at homes in Willmot, Cambridge Park, Mt Druitt, and two properties at Ropes Crossing from 6am yesterday.

During a search of a home at Ropes Crossing, police seized mobile phones, $5700 in cash, more than 100 pairs of designer shoes and other high-end clothing estimated to be worth more than $150,000.

The 28-year-old male occupant of the home was arrested and taken to Mt Druitt Police Station where he was charged.

A 34-year-old man, from Cambridge Park, and a 34-year-old man, from Ropes Crossing, were arrested and taken to St Marys Police Station where they were charged.

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Police will allege the three men targeted the other man over an outstanding debt.

All of the men are currently before the courts.

Investigations are continuing.

Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan has told media today that while his decision to keep the border closed has been unpopular, he will not be pressured to make any changes.

Mr McGowan reaffirmed his strong stance, repeatedly stating that "saving lives and saving jobs is the right thing to do".

He hopes to increase the state's third vaccination rate, which currently sits at 53.3 per cent, before opening the border to people from other states.

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"Dropping the border at this point in time will just mean we infect hundreds or thousands of new cases into Western Australia, whilst our third dose vaccination rate is not high enough," Mr McGowan said.

He insisted keeping the border closed was the right decision, despite airline Jetstar cancelling more flights.

Mr McGowan says close to 30,000 people have come to WA in the last 10 days, noting that people who fit the criteria and subject themselves to the testing regime can come home.

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When asked about a potential reopening date, the premier said the information is subject to review during February and "once we get the outcome of that review, we'll be able to give you advice as to what the appropriate date is".

Mr McGowan was asked about a possible outbreak inside an unspecified prison but said only one case has been detected so far, with the infected person believed to be a guard.

"It is concerning, that's why we've mandated vaccines for guards," he said.

"We strongly encourage prisoners to get vaccinated, as best we can, and I'd urge prisoners if they're not vaccinated to make sure they make the effort to get vaccinated as soon as they can."

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WA recorded 115 new cases of COVID-19 overnight, bringing the state's total number of active cases to 444.

Around 95 per cent of people aged over 12 years have received their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccination.

WA currently has zero COVID-19 patients receiving care in hospital or intensive care units.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese commenced today's Question Time by firing a shot at Aged Care Services Minister Richard Colbeck, after controversial comments made in Senate Estimates.

"The Minister for Aged Care Services said and I quote: 'I don't accept the deaths in the community or deaths in aged care as an indication' of his performance as a minister," Mr Albanese said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison was quick to defend his colleague and accused the Opposition of playing politics.

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"For every life that has been lost, which we grieve, we give thanks for the thousands of lives that have been saved by the actions of our aged care workers, aged care providers," he said.

The minister came under fire earlier this year after attending a cricket game instead of a COVID-19 Senate Committee.

Mr Morrison has previously said the pair have "spoken about it" and "my preference would have been that he would be at that hearing and he understands that".

When questioned in estimates about it today, Senator Colbeck defended his own comments that the aged care system was not in crisis, despite the pressure from COVID-19 and the Omicron outbreak.

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He's also rejected calls by Labor and the Greens to resign.

"We are going through a global pandemic, and the suggestion that's implied by your answer that if you were in government no one would have died in aged care from COVID doesn't stand up," he said.

"The government is the only party that can provide anyone with any confidence about the future of the aged care sector because the opposition has no plan."

Health experts said this year has already been the deadliest for aged care residents since the start of the pandemic.

Almost 700 residents have died in COVID-19 outbreaks while almost a third of the country's residential aged care homes are currently battling coronavirus outbreaks.