Coogee ranks as Sydney’s worst ocean beach for faecal pollution – again

Coogee beach received a ‘poor’ rating in the 2026 State of the Beaches report. The popular Sydney swimming spot is ‘susceptible to faecal pollution, particularly after rainfall’. Photograph: James Gourley/The Guardian

Coogee has ranked as the Sydney ocean beach most polluted with faecal matter, an annual state survey has found.

Of 245 swimming sites across New South Wales, 43 sites (17.6%) received a rating of “poor” or “very poor” in the 2026 State of the Beaches report, part of an annual survey by the state’s environment department.