Funds given to exhume NSW whale carcass

An 18-tonne humpback whale carcass buried at a north coast beach will be exhumed as a result of safety concerns for beachgoers.

The carcass attracted 21 great white movements after it was interred at Nobbys Beach in Port Macquarie on Monday because it was too big to be moved.

Community backlash prompted Port Macquarie-Hastings Council to reconsider keeping the whale buried and seek funds to help remove it.

The community's concerns were answered as Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams announced in parliament on Thursday $50,000 has been allocated to exhume the whale.

"I want to assure residents in the Port Macquarie area and the visitors who will be frequenting our beaches in the weeks ahead that everything possible is being done to ensure that our patrolled beaches remain safer for all beach users," Ms Williams said.

"There is considerable community angst around the decision to bury the carcass on the beach for fear this could attract sharks for months and possibly years as the whale decomposes and the oil leaches into the ocean."

Ms Williams also revealed an unidentified shark up to two and a half metres in length was circling the area near Nobbys beach on Thursday morning.

"As the school holidays approach and the predictable weather, I want everybody, visitors and locals alike to be safe," she said.

Port Macquarie beaches remain closed as a result of the situation and drone surveillance at beaches in the area continues.