Workers from the the Environment Protection Agency on Coogee Beach, Sydney(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Mysterious tar balls wash up on Sydney beaches and force beach closures

Several beaches in areas of Sydney, Australia including iconic Bondi were closed to the public for 24 hours after the discovery of mysterious and bizarre tar balls

by · The Mirror

Several picturesque beaches enjoyed by millions of people every year were closed to the public after the discovery of a huge number of bizarre tar balls in Australia.

People hoping to dip their toes in the sea in Sydney on the likes of iconic Bondi Beach were sorely disappointed on Friday as officials ordered them shut when thousands of tar balls were found in the sand. Waverley Council were told by officers from the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) the objects - sized between a pea and a marble - were seen on Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama beaches.

Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh said: “The wellbeing of our community is paramount. That’s why the council has taken the precaution to close our beaches.”

It is unknown what the little tar balls were( Image: AFP via Getty Images)

A further five beaches, located in the Randwick City Council Local Government Area, were also closed to the public after the discovery of the tar balls. However, the authority announced Coogee, Clovelly, Maroubra, Malabar and Gordons Bay beaches will reopen.

Transport for NSW Maritime today issued the all-clear as the ball-shaped debris was found to not be highly toxic to humans.

Randwick mayor Dylan Parker said: “It’s been a difficult week for everyone as we’ve been progressively managing the cleanup of our beaches and working towards reopening. I’m very pleased the NSW EPA has now formally identified the material and made an assessment about its toxicity level.

The beaches were shut for 24 hours as tests went on( Image: Getty Images)

“Randwick Council will continue to conduct regular inspections of our beaches and will be removing any material as quickly as possible. The advice is the material is not harmful to people when it’s on the ground. If people find more debris, it is best not to handle it but to report it to a Randwick City Council Lifeguard.

"I would like to thank the community for their patience while Council and its partners at the NSW Government worked through this unusual event to protect the safety of our residents and our precious marine environment.”

The EPA added it is investigating the origin and any potential risks to the community and environment. In a statement, they added: “At this stage, the origin and contents of the balls remains a mystery. The EPA is conducting extensive testing on a number of samples.

“We advise against swimming and touching any balls that may have washed ashore in the identified areas.”