Grey spherical debris balls measuring about 10mm to 40mm have washed up on multiple New South Wales beaches including The Entrance, Grant McBride baths, Blue Bay, Toowoon Bay, North Shelly, Shelly and Blue Lagoon. Environmental officers have collected samples and reported the incident to the NSW EPA while further inspections and safe clean-up are under way. Tests of similar past balls found material consistent with human-generated waste rather than crude oil. Potential sources include stormwater, sewerage networks and ships from local or international locations. The public is advised to avoid affected beaches, not touch the debris and report sightings.
Central Coast Council said on Thursday the debris balls which are grey-coloured and about 10mm to 40mm in size had been found on beaches including at The Entrance, the Grant McBride baths, Blue Bay, Toowoon Bay, North Shelly, Shelly and Blue Lagoon. Previous similar incidents were initially described as tar balls comprised of crude oil. But testing coordinated with the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) revealed they were consistent with human-generated waste.
The council said it did not yet know what the new balls were made of, or if they were related to previous Sydney debris balls. Debris balls washed ashore could be from a variety of sources or locations such as stormwater, sewerage networks, ships from local or international locations, it said. Further inspections and safe clean-up are under way. It has advised the public to avoid the beaches until further notice, not to touch the debris and to report any sightings.
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