Beaches along Sydney’s famous eastern stretch of coastline are reopening following council inspections and the removal of mysterious tar balls.
In a statement, Waverley Council said all reported debris had been collected from Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama beaches.
Mayor Will Nemesh, said Council would continue to prioritise the safety of the community, and will continue to monitor the situation closely.
“The safety of our community is always paramount. Working with Government authorities, we will continue to monitor the situation closely and keep the community updated and safe,” he said.
Meanwhile, Coogee, Clovelly, Maroubra, Malabar and Gordons Bay beaches are set to reopen to the public from tomorrow.
The five beaches, located in the Randwick City Council Local Government Area, were closed to the public during the week after thousands of ball-shaped tar debris were found.
Transport for NSW Maritime today issued the all-clear for beaches to reopen, saying the ball-shaped debris is not highly toxic to humans.
Early morning inspections conducted today by Council’s Environmental Health Officers identified small quantities of debris still being washed ashore, much less than first appeared on Tuesday, Randwick City Council said in a statement.
Randwick Mayor, Dylan Parker said reopening the beaches was welcome news for beach goers, surfers and surf life saving clubs.
“It’s been a difficult week for everyone as we’ve been progressively managing the cleanup of our beaches and working towards reopening,” he said.
“I’m very pleased that the NSW EPA has now formally identified the material and made an assessment about its toxicity level.
“Randwick Council will continue to conduct regular inspections of our beaches and will be removing any material as quickly as possible.
“The advice is the material is not harmful to people when it’s on the ground. If people find more debris, it is best not to handle it but to report it to a Randwick City Council Lifeguard or through Council’s call centre 1300 722 542 for collection.
“I would like to thank the community for their patience while Council and its partners at the NSW Government worked through this unusual event to protect the safety of our residents and our precious marine environment,” Mayor Parker said.
