Secret report shows likely source of ‘poo balls’ that closed Sydney’s beaches last summer

<p><strong>Exclusive</strong>: Fat, oil and grease built up in sewerage pipes before being dislodged by heavy rain and ejected from Malabar outfall</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/oct/24/australia-news-live-police-search-colleen-walker-craig-bowraville-river-labor-environment-laws-murray-watt-coalition-greens-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></p></li><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>A secret report reveals the likely source of the fatberg balls that closed a raft of Sydney beaches last summer – with most coming from the deepwater ocean outfall at Malabar.</p><p>The partly redacted scientific report, obtained by Guardian Australia under freedom of information laws, points to a combination of heavy rains and a buildup of fats, oils and greases as the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jan/15/ball-shaped-debris-washes-up-at-sydneys-bondi-coogee-maroubra-and-cronulla-beaches">likely cause of the “poo balls”</a> being discharged from outfalls at Malabar, Bondi and North Head.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/24/source-of-fatbergs-closed-sydney-beaches-revealed-report">Continue reading...</a>