Thousands of golf ball-sized pieces of black debris scattered across two beaches have been identified as ‘tar balls’.
Randwick City Council explained that the balls, which appeared on Sydney’s Coogee Beach and Gordons Bay Beach on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, are a “hydrocarbon-based pollutant”.
Both beaches were closed following the discovery of the balls and remain closed due to ongoing clean-up efforts.
Randwick Council staff are assisted by working with the NSW Environmental Protection Authority, Ports Authority and Transport for NSW.
“Our community is rightly very protective of our natural environment and this was a deeply concerning incident,” Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said.
‘Our priority as a council is to keep people safe and protect our coastal and marine environment as much as possible.
“We have engaged an expert industrial hygienist and specialist waste removal contractor who are currently systematically removing debris from the beaches in accordance with an agreed safe working practice statement developed in partnership with the NSW EPA.
“This process will likely continue tomorrow.”
Tar balls usually form when oil comes into contact with dirt and water.
They are typically seen after oil spills or spill incidents.
Mayor Parker added that the municipality will work with all relevant authorities to determine the extent and cause of the pollution.
“I’m grateful to the community for their patience and for not staying on the beach,” he said.
“I would also like to thank Council staff, contractors and several NSW Government employees who have been working around the clock to respond to this matter.”
There’s more to come.