By Brendan Rees
Jake Styles was walking his dog at a reserve in Narre Warren when he stumbled across a handful of needles not far from a playground.
Mr Styles said the needles – all bar one that were sealed in a packet – were lying on a mound of dirt just off a walking track at Hallam Valley Reserve about 8pm on Sunday 1 March.
“They were just there out in the open,” he said.
He said his dog had sniffed towards the needles when he spotted them.
“It was a bit of a shock someone had left them there,” he explained.
“There was one open – used with no lid and bent needle and there were around nine still sealed in a packet”.
He shared a picture of his finding on Facebook, sending a message to those responsible to clean up their “mess”.
“We’ve been here for over seven years and never seen something like that before.
“My biggest concern with it is the little children who use the park could think they are something they can pick up and play with,” Mr Styles said.
He said he had no hesitation in picking up the needles with his hands and disposing of them.
He also hit back at critics on Facebook after sharing his photo, saying: “If you see them – you just pick them up. Do the right thing”.
“People are saying you should’ve just left them there and waited for the Parks (staff) … what if the next person to come along is a little kid you know what I mean,” he said.
“Sure you don’t want to get stung by one but you hold the blunt end and you’re pretty much right”.
When Mr Styles got home he called police who advised him to call the Needle Clean Up Hotline.
He then placed the needles in a container and disposed of them in his household bin.
According to the Australian Government Department of Health website, it advises if people find a needle and syringe “the preferred option” for disposal is to contact the Needle Clean Up Hotline on 1800 633 35 or to call their local council.
If people choose to dispose of a needle and syringe, the Department says:
• Take a hard plastic container with a screw top and place it on the ground beside the needle and syringe.
• Keeping away from the sharp end of the needle, carefully pick up the syringe by the barrel.
• Needle point first, put the syringe in to the container and seal it tightly.
• Place the container in a needle and syringe disposal bin if there is one nearby
