A pollution scare has been reported on several beaches along Australia’s Central Coast, with grey-coloured debris balls washing ashore in a number of locations. The Council has urged residents not to touch the debris as its source is unknown and could be related to other pollution incidents that occurred last year.
The affected beaches include The Entrance beach, Grant McBride baths, Blue Bay beach, Toowoon Bay beach, North Shelly beach, Shelly beach, and Blue Lagoon beach. Residents are advised to avoid these areas until further notice.
Authorities have taken a precautionary approach in managing the potential risk of these items. While no evidence has been found to confirm their source, experts warn that they could be from various sources such as stormwater, sewerage networks, or ships from local or international locations.
In other news, police are vowing to arrest pro-Palestine protesters who attempt to march across a Brisbane bridge on Sunday despite a court ruling banning the event. The Australian Council of Trade Unions has welcomed an agreement with the tech sector regarding AI use of creative content, while the Coalition is warning that any increase in taxes would be a “major breach of faith” with the public.
A national system to track childcare workers and a $189m childcare safety package have been proposed by the Education Minister. The government is also considering tougher penalties for breaches and implementing mandatory child safety training.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/aug/22/australia-news-live-penny-wong-gaza-israel-netanyahu-anthony-albanese-childcare-safety-education-database-ntwnfb