Sandringham Beach finally rid of black sludge
It threatened the safety of beachgoers and almost caused a world-class sailing event to be cancelled. Now, Sandringham’s black sludge has finally been removed in a marathon clean-up.
Inner South
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Sandringham’s despised black goo, which has plagued the harbour for decades and posed a safety threat to beachgoers, is gone.
A 10-day clean-up operation cleared almost 9000 cubic metres of the sludge — almost double the amount expected — from the Sandringham Harbour and Jetty Road precinct.
The State Government in July vowed to splash $250,000 to rid the beach of the stinky ooze by summer after the Leader revealed three Oceania Laser World Championships to be held in January and February could be scuttled.
The events are major qualifiers for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with a raft of international sailors expected to compete.
Known by the locals as the “Black Death”, the non-toxic sludge — an accumulation of organic material including seagrass and seaweeds — had largely been an aesthetic concern, but there had also been reports of children and beach walkers getting stuck waist-deep in the quicksand-like goo.
Felicity Frederico, who has long advocated for the removal of the sludge, hailed its departure as a “massive community benefit”.
“The Sandringham Harbour and Jetty Road precinct gets more than 240,000 visitors every year,” she said.
“It has been building up over 30 or 40 years to get to this stage, but the removal wouldn’t have happened without the Leader’s advocacy on the issue.
“The sand is still a bit discoloured but that will disappear over time.”
Sandringham Yacht Club chief executive Richard Hewett said the timing of the removal was perfect, with more than 200 boats expected to race this Saturday.
“Not only has it improved the visual amenity but it’s made the beach a safer environment for all users,” he said.
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Southern Metropolitan Labor member Nina Taylor said the project had been completed on time and within budget, despite larger amounts of sludge than expected.
“The increase was due to additional maintenance dredging around Hampton Pier, undertaken while the dredge was mobilised,” she said.
“This project again highlights the practical action being taken by the government.”