Crews have removed a dead whale that washed up on Kingscliff Beach however, beachgoers are being urged to exercise caution at all local beaches over the next 24 hours.
The deceased 10 metre humpback was discovered on Tuesday morning near Jack Bayliss Park.
Council roped off the area while deciding what to do with the carcass.
Following consultation with NSW National Parks and Wildlife and the Byron Tweed Local Aboriginal Council, it was agreed that the carcass should be removed from the beach as soon as possible instead of towing it back out to sea.
Council crews used backhoes but were unable to remove the entire carcass because of its size and weight, with commerical operators assisting in the final removal in the afternoon.
The carcass was then taken to Stotts Creek Resource Recovery Centre to be buried.
Image: Supplied
Council has defended the decision not to tow the whale out to sea, saying it would have been very difficult given it was already beached.
Tweed Mayor Chris Cherry says she is aware of community concerns as Council continues to develop a policy surrounding the disposal of dead marine animals.
“There’s never a one-size-fits-all answer in circumstances like this but we try and take advice from all the local knowledge holders and experts. In this case, removing the dead whale and burying it offsite was the option that everyone agreed was the most logical one,” Cr Cherry said.
