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The arduous task of removing the buried whale from Nobby’s Beach has begun, with council staff and experts taking to the sand early on September 25.
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After mounting pressure from the community, Port Macquarie-Hasting Council announced on Friday, September 22 that the whale would be removed from the beach funded by the NSW State Governments Public Reserve Management Fund.
On Monday, council director Matt Rogers said that process was moving along as well as could be expected.
“Staff have been well briefed and are being supported,” Mr Rogers said.
The operation has meant the closure of some roads near the Nobby’s Beach entrance, but Mr Rogers said the beach would be reopened as soon as the work was completed; but whether that be after after one day or two was still to be determined.
Mr Rogers disputed the fact that there were potential contamination and shark concerns regarding lingering whale remains on the beach post extraction, saying that all precautions were being taken.
He also said that while it was due to community concern it was decided to exhume the whale, council was not in the wrong, citing there is no precedent for this kind of whale carcass extraction.
The whale extraction continues.