Clean Ocean Foundation

Around the world there are many groups fighting to give the ocean a voice. Clean Ocean Foundation (COF) is this voice in Australia. COF was incorporated as an association in Victoria in December 2000. It is achieving peak status in relation to community opposition to ocean sewage outfalls in Australia.

Started by a grant from an international philanthropic organisation, COF has been able to employ environmental engineers, educators, environmental consultants, solicitors and utilise unpaid professionals to pursue environmental objectives as advocates for clean oceans.

COF’s prime objective is to protect our ocean ecosystem, establish sustainable water management practices and close Australia’s ocean outfalls. These wastewater outfalls are the single greatest source of ocean pollution in Australia, yet virtually every Australian would have swum, surfed or fished near one of the 144 outfalls around our country.

Australia's 144 ocean and estuary outfall pipelines dump more than three billion litres of semi-treated domestic, industrial, trade and abattoir waste onto or near the shoreline every single day.

The largest and dirtiest shoreline outfall in the country is at Gunnamatta beach on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. Each day, an average of 450 million litres of effluent is discharged at Gunnamatta. COF’s number one campaign is achieving a national ocean outfall closure strategy by 2025, starting with Gunnamatta.