2 weeks ago
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Debris balls have again washed up along the New South Wales coast as officials warn residents not to touch the mysterious spherical globules and to avoid beaches where they appear.
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.
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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. Environmental officers have collected samples to analyse their composition and origin and the incident has been reported to the NSW EPA.
Nine beaches were shut to the public in Sydney in January – including Manly beach on the city’s north shore – after ball-shaped debris washed ashore. It followed sightings, and some temporary closures, on many of the city’s beaches after the balls started to appear from October 2024.
In that month, thousands of black balls washed up on several eastern suburbs beaches including Bondi, Bronte, Coogee and Tamarama.
Experts have said Sydney’s unusual sewerage system is to blame.
