Stop me if you've heard this one before...

Just days after burying a dead whale on a beach a council has bowed to public pressure - and some will say commonsense - and will exhume the carcass.

This time around it's Sunshine Coast Council, and their decision is the third such incident in four weeks. The first two involved Port Macquarie-Hastings Council and Ballina Council. Each followed the same pattern: a deceased cetacean is expediently buried near the shoreline of a popular beach, the local surfing community agitates for removal, then the council do a backflip and begin the messy business.

Here is the full detail from the Sunshine Coast Council press release:

Sunshine Coast Council will exhume a whale buried at Wurtulla Beach after on-going monitoring of its condition, seeking expert advice and considering safety concerns raised by residents.

CEO Michael Whittaker said council had been engaged in discussions with the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP) since the whale washed ashore at the weekend.

“Council’s focus has remained on delivering the best outcome for our environment and our community,” Mr Whittaker said.

“Our staff have consistently raised concerns regarding the community’s feelings on this matter with the state regulatory authority EHP since Sunday afternoon.

“I have today asked council officers to exhume and remove the whale carcass from the beach.

“The decomposed nature of the whale when it came to shore meant it could not be towed out to sea and has added to this challenging task.

“Our staff are working with contractors to mobilise trucks, excavators and any machinery and expertise required to work the carcass into manageable sizes and remove it from the site to a local landfill.

“The public should keep clear of the area to ensure the carcass is removed as quickly and safely as possible.

“We appreciate the community’s patience and support as we carry out this work.”