What's corroborated

There is intense discussion about who was responsible for warning the public about potential shark activity during the towing operation.

The carcass was pulled from the rocks at dawn on Friday, towed 20km to Bellambi, broken apart, loaded into skip bins, and transported by road to Whytes Gully waste facility.

The whale was estimated to be 20 to 25 tonnes and 8 metres long.

NPWS consulted the local Aboriginal community and identified Bellambi boat ramp as the most suitable extraction point based on advice from Wollongong city council.

NPWS said it was not feasible to tow the carcass out to sea because it would create a shipping hazard and might wash ashore elsewhere.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) said the operation was challenging due to the advanced state of decomposition of the whale.

The whale was discovered on Saturday 25 April, after washing onto a rock platform at Era beach in the Royal national park.

The councillor said the equipment used to lift the whale failed, causing a slick of burley as the carcass was broken apart.

The councillor said there was a failure to warn people in the water, a lack of a media plan, and the Bellambi boat ramp was open, stranding fishers.

The councillor said the operation was clumsy and poorly communicated, and that the community was placed in an unfair situation.

A Wollongong city councillor, Jess Whittaker, is demanding a review into the operation.

The operation resulted in increased shark activity.

A sperm whale carcass was towed 20km along the coast south of Sydney from Era beach to Bellambi boat ramp.