Whale washes up on Perth beach

A 31-tonne humpback whale washed up on City Beach in Perth. The Town of Cambridge was tasked with removing the 13-metre long carcass on September 27.

Removal cost nearly $180,000

The whale was transported to Red Hill landfill on October 1 using a 72-tonne crane.

Mayor explains unexpected costs

Cambridge Mayor Gary Mack said the 44-kilometre journey involved several costly moving parts. Specialist cranes, sealed trucks to prevent whale exudate on the freeway, and crowd control added up.

“Hiring specialist cranes and their operators was an additional expense that we didn't fully anticipate.”

City removal costs more than regional

The City of Karratha spent ten thousand dollars removing a 14-metre humpback in 2009. The City of Stirling spent one hundred eighty-eight thousand dollars removing a 17-metre whale from Scarborough Beach in 2014.

Council seeks state funding help

The Town of Cambridge will call on the state government to establish a state-funded whale carcass response mechanism on October 27. If denied, the council will pull funding from already-approved infrastructure projects.

“We can't increase the rates because the rates have already been sent out and people have paid their rates.”