Sightings of syringes have become more common over the past couple of months, with WWCC urging residents to be cautious and report the problem. Photo: Lake Albert Neighbourhood Watch.
Wagga Wagga City Council is advising residents to stay clear and report any sightings of syringes following the increased presence of needles on Wagga’s main streets.
Several Wagga residents have taken to social media to report sightings of syringes, prompting concerns about the use of illicit drugs in Wagga’s busiest areas.
Resident Liu Xin posted a picture on 28 March after finding a syringe in the bathroom of the Sister City Walkway in Baylis Street. Michael Payne also came across one only a few days earlier (25 March) in the JB Hi-Fi carpark in Morgan Street.
Lake Albert Neighbourhood Watch members have also spotted several syringes at the dog park dating back to 26 January.
The council has advised residents who spot syringes to steer clear and report them so they can be disposed of safely.
“Do not touch it, call Wagga Wagga City Council on 1300 292 442 or the NSW Needle Clean-Up Hotline on 1800 633 353 and a trained staff member will safely collect and dispose of the item,” a council spokesperson said.
“For people needing to dispose of sharps, there are a number of safe options. As part of council’s Sharps Management Program, we have partnered with local pharmacies across Wagga Wagga to provide secure community sharps drop-off locations.
”These are ideal for residents who collect their injecting equipment from pharmacies and need a safe, convenient place to return used sharps.”
The official council guidelines are:
If you need to dispose of your sharps:
- Place all used equipment in a sharps or puncture-resistant container (available from needle and syringe outlets)
- Store your container safely out of reach of children
- Never dispose of sharps in general waste or recycling bins
- When the container is full, secure the lid and return it to a sharps drop-off point or use a public sharps bin.
Drop-off locations:
There are now several drop-off points across Wagga Wagga:
- Pharmacies – The council has partnered with pharmacies in Wagga for collection of community sharps and disposal by the council’s contractor
- Gregadoo Waste Management Centre
- Wagga Wagga Rural Referral Hospital
- Community Health (Docker Street).
In addition to pharmacy drop-off points, the council has installed three 24-hour public sharps disposal bins at:
- Wilks Park, Hampden Avenue, North Wagga
- Tolland Community Centre, 41 Bruce Street, Tolland
- Ashmont Inn carpark, 55-57 Tobruk Street, Ashmont.
These large yellow bins are designed for the safe disposal of sharps generated from non-clinical activities, including by people with diabetes or other medical conditions, as well as injecting drug users. Please note, they are not to be used for general rubbish.
For the full list of disposal sites, visit: council’s website.
