SYDNEY, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach was among the city's seven beaches closed due to pollution from tar balls that were washed ashore.
Local councils in Sydney's eastern suburbs on Thursday announced that five additional beaches, including Bondi, were closed on top of the two that were closed on Tuesday and Wednesday due to black ball-shaped debris that has appeared along the shore.
Randwick City Council said on Wednesday night that testing identified the debris as tar balls, which form when oil comes into contact with water and debris -- usually as the result of oil spills or seepage at sea.
It said in a statement that the debris was a hydrocarbon-based pollutant, the main component of petroleum-based products.
However, authorities had not yet identified the source of the debris. The public was warned not to touch or go near the debris.
The neighboring Waverley Council, which has jurisdiction over Bondi, on Thursday closed all three of its beaches to the public until further investigation is carried out by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and other government agencies.
Bondi is one of Australia's busiest and most famous beaches and is a major Sydney tourism drawcard.
Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said on Thursday that cleanup efforts at its four closed beaches were ongoing.
"The safety of the community is our first priority. That's why Council has taken the precaution to close these beaches while we undertake the safe collection and disposal of this material," he said in a statement.
"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." ■
