Mysterious black balls have washed up at two more beaches in Sydney, forcing them to close as authorities clean up the shoreline.
Cloverly Beach and the northern part of Maroubra Beach have closed after the Environmental Protection Authority discovered the “ball-shaped debris” had washed ashore overnight.
The southern part of Maroubra beach remains open for now.
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Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said the beaches will remain closed until the clean-up is complete.
“The safety of the community is our first priority,” he said.
“That’s why Council has taken the precaution to close these beaches while we undertake the safe collection and disposal of this material.
“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.”
Tests conducted by Randwick City Council have discovered the debris is actually a phenomenon known as “tar balls”, the council announced late yesterday.
Parker said Randwick Council staff have been working closely with the NSW Environmental Protection Authority, Ports Authority and Transport for NSW on the cleanup response.
A tar ball is a small blob of oil that has been weathered and shaped after floating in the ocean for a period of time.
It marks the fourth beach to close over the tar balls, which first shut down Coogee Beach on Tuesday.
Gordons Bay was also closed yesterday after the ball debris was found at that beach.
The origin of the tar balls remains a mystery.
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