A few years ago I contacted all the councils on the Cooks river about raw sewage flowing into Botany Bay, they just blamed each other, wouldn't do anything about it and couldn't give a damn.
Every time the tide goes out so does the sewage and it's not hard to see or smell.
Pretty much every beach in Sydney is a cesspool after heavy rain. Between those polluted rivers flushing out and sewage plants being bypassed due to overflows it's a wonder not more people are getting sick. Worst offender is probably Foreshore Road in Botany Bay. I have heard countless stories of people with inner ear infections.
I nearly lost a toe from infection about 10 years ago. I walked through Dee Why Lagoon after a session at Long Reef in a Southerly. All I had was tiny fin cut on my toe. Really made me think twice sailing on those East Coast Low days.
Paul what's the situation with plastic pollution at Sydney beaches these days? I went to Wedge here in WA a couple of weeks ago and for the first time found quite a bit of plastic waste that had been washed in. First time I ever found that type of waste at that beach.