Australia unveils plan to stop mystery balls on Sydney beaches

The New South Wales government has unveiled a $3 billion investment program to upgrade Sydney’s largest wastewater plant, aiming to prevent further outbreaks of mysterious debris balls that disrupted beaches across the city last year.

Between October 2024 and January 2025, tar-like debris balls washed ashore on Sydney beaches, raising serious concerns about water safety and forcing multiple closures. Testing conducted by the Environmental Protection Authority in November 2024 indicated that the balls most likely originated from the Malabar Wastewater Treatment Plant, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

In response, the Minns government announced a decade-long, $3 billion upgrade program targeting the Malabar plant, which serves nearly two million residents and is among the largest wastewater systems in Australia. The initiative will reduce the volume of wastewater requiring treatment at Malabar and enhance water resource recovery facilities across the network.

“Sydney is a rapidly growing city and no one wants to see debris balls washing up on our beautiful beaches again – but the truth is our wastewater system needs an upgrade to keep pace with the population,” Water Minister Rose Jackson said. She added, “This is a major plan to deliver critical wastewater system upgrades in a sensible, staged way, ensuring that major investments are funded over time and Sydney Water users don’t face sudden bill shock.”

Upgrades will be staggered across key facilities, including Glenfield, Liverpool, and Fairfield Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs). The first phases will refurbish and expand Glenfield and Liverpool WRRFs, with a secondary treatment process to be introduced at Liverpool as a major development.

“We understand the seriousness of recent debris ball incidents and the need to ensure our network is equipped for Sydney’s growing population,” Sydney Water CEO Darren Cleary said. Sydney Water, the NSW EPA, and an independent Wastewater Expert Panel will continue collaborating over the next decade to prevent further occurrences.

By Vafa Guliyeva