Two more Sydney beaches closed after tar balls wash up

Two more Sydney beaches have been closed after tar balls washed ashore, putting nippers and surf lifesaving events this weekend in jeopardy. Randwick City Council on Thursday said it had closed the beaches at North Maroubra and Clovelly. Coogee and Gordons Bay also remain closed until further notice.

Preliminary testing revealed the dark spheres to be tar balls – a mixture of oil and debris. Credit: Janie Barrett Contractors started the clean-up operation on Wednesday after preliminary testing confirmed the mysterious grimy black spheres were “tar balls” – lumps of oil and debris. Some petroleum products form tar balls when mixed with water, while others form slicks and dissipate.



Whether it washes up on the sand or falls to the sea floor, the substance is toxic to marine life and humans. Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said council would continue to remove the material throughout the day. “The safety of the community is our first priority.

That’s why council has taken the precaution to close these beaches while we undertake the safe collection and disposal of this material,” Parker said. The clean-up operation at Coogee started on Wednesday. Credit: Janie Barrett “We don’t yet know what has happened to produce the debris washing up on our beaches, but we will continue to work with relevant authorities to ensure the safety of the public and clean up our beaches.

” The council said it would liaise with clubs at affected beaches who were scheduled to hold nippers and surf lifesaving events this weekend..