The latest State of the Beaches report shows an overall improvement in water quality at monitored swimming sites across New South Wales in 2026, with 79 per cent of sites achieving a Very Good or Good rating.
Swimming sites that are part of the annual report are graded as Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor or Very Poor in accordance with the national health guidelines. Any locations that fall in the top-tier categories Very Good or Good are considered suitable for swimming almost all the time.
The improved statewide results were largely associated with drier weather conditions across many parts of NSW during the reporting period, which generally reduced stormwater runoff and pollution entering waterways.
Ocean beaches continued to record the strongest results statewide, with 97 per cent achieving a Very Good or Good rating.
Sydney's ocean beaches showed particularly strong results, increasing from 87 per cent with a Very Good or Good rating to 97 per cent, while Sydney Harbour improved from 78 per cent to 81 per cent.
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 number of estuarine sites that achieved a Very Good or Good score increased from 63 per cent to 69 per cent. Estuaries, lakes and lagoons typically record lower water quality than open ocean beaches because lower levels of water exchange can increase the time needed for pollution to disperse following rainfall events.
Since 1989, Beachwatch has helped people make informed decisions about where and when to swim by providing trusted water quality data from 245 monitored swimming locations across New South Wales. Always check the website for pollution updates before you go swimming: https://www.beachwatch.nsw.gov.au/home
The full 2026 State of the Beaches report is available here: https://www.beachwatch.nsw.gov.au/stateOfTheBeaches
Minister for the Environment Penny Sharpe said:
"Good environmental decisions rely on good science. 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."
DCCEEW Executive Director of the Science and Insights Division, Professor Mark Taylor:
"The NSW Government provides real-time information for many popular swimming locations in NSW. This allows the community to make informed decisions on where and when to swim safely.
"All of this information is available on the Beachwatch website and social media accounts."
