Claims extracted
18
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
6%
1 of 18 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
61/100
The Sydney Morning Herald's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
2
Environment
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
While you can breathe easily at Avalon, it’s best to keep your mouth shut when you venture into the water at Coogee, Rose Bay and basically everywhere in Botany Bay.
asserted
you → breathe → Bay
The 2026 State of the Beaches report, released on Thursday, has revealed an overall improvement in water quality across NSW, and 79 per cent of waterways achieved a rating of “good” or “very good”.
asserted
cent → release → good
Avalon was named equal-cleanest of the coastal beaches, alongside three in the Central Coast, two in the Illawarra, One Mile Beach in the Hunter and Warrain Beach in Shoalhaven.
asserted
Avalon → name → Shoalhaven
Overall, 97 per cent of the state’s ocean beaches were graded good or very good when rated against the national guidelines.
asserted
cent → grade → guidelines
Places in those categories are considered suitable for swimming almost all the time.
asserted
Places → consider → swimming
The percentage of Sydney Harbour’s beaches in the top tier improved from 78 per cent to 81 per cent.
asserted
percentage → improve → cent
Coogee – a popular spot but always more susceptible to stormwater than other beaches – received a “poor” rating for the fifth year in a row, and was joined at that level by Rose Bay and a slew of spots in Botany Bay.
asserted
Coogee → receive → Bay
This will come as no surprise to those who venture to such places to walk their dogs but keep their toes dry.
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who → come → toes
The rankings went beyond the beaches: other Sydney swimming spots to receive a “poor” rating included the estuarine sites Bayview baths, Frenchmans bay, the Kyeemagh baths and Rose Bay beach.
asserted
spots → go → sites
Two sites in Sydney were deemed “very poor”: Foreshores beach, a notorious site beside Sydney airport that many on social media have decried as “the most polluted beach in NSW” with mercury, phosphate and dog droppings in the water, and the Gymea Bay baths, which also ranked lowly last year.
asserted
which → deem → water
Top spots for a dip
Eight coastal beaches shared the highest water quality rankings in NSW this year
- Avalon Beach (Sydney)
- Birdie Beach (Central Coast)
- Forresters Beach (Central Coast)
- Frazer Beach (Central Coast)
- One Mile Beach (Hunter)
- Warrain Beach (Shoalhaven)
- Shellharbour Beach (Illawarra)
- Wollongong City Beach (Illawarra)
The NSW government said the improved results could be attributed to drier weather conditions during the reporting period, which reduced stormwater run-off and pollution entering waterways.
uncertain
which → share → waterways
The government said the number of estuaries, lakes and lagoons that achieved good or very good scores increased from 63 per cent to 69 per cent.
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that → say → cent
These typically record lower water quality than open ocean beaches.
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These → record → beaches
Swimmers are encouraged to check the Beachwatch website before they take a dip.
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they → encourage → dip
Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the data would help shape decisions.
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data → say → decisions
“Through decades of consistent monitoring, Beachwatch provides the robust data needed to track water quality trends and give swimmers confidence in the information they use.
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they → provide → information
Get to the heart of what’s happening with climate change and the environment.
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what → get → change
Our fortnightly Environment newsletter brings you the news, the issues and the solutions.
asserted
newsletter → bring → news
The Aporia
