DWER Director of Water and Ecosystem Planning, Susan Worley said there has been a significant increase in the number of people accessing DWER land around Flynn Rd near The Lakes. Land at Wellbucket off Gorrie Rd is also affected.
The department is calling for the unauthorised activities to stop and for the community to avoid the area.
“The land is part of the Mundaring Weir Catchment Area that supplies drinking water to Perth, the Goldfields and many towns in-between and we have seen a spike in illegal activities on DWER land,” Ms Worley said.
“This has included large pine trees being felled for ‘chainsaw practice’, arson, off-road vehicle use and camping.
“In some cases, we have seen footage of young children learning to ride dirt bikes on the same tracks that are being used by larger vehicles.
“The area is not safe for children to be riding and the department is concerned that if these unauthorised activities continue there is an increased risk of someone being seriously injured.
“These activities are also placing the quality of our drinking water at risk”
Ms Worley said the Forest Products Commission and DWER are currently undertaking plantation and landscape rehabilitation works on this land with heavy machinery and treefelling operations underway at the site.
“This is a serious public safety issue,” Ms Worley said.
“You cannot have these kinds of unauthorised activities occurring in the same area as plantation and rehabilitation work.”
DWER officers are continuing to work with Western Australian Police and the Water Corporation to monitor and report unauthorised access in the area.
Increased signage was placed at the site last weekend to warn people they are trespassing and DWER staff issued visitors with information about appropriate activities in the catchment. Surveillance in the area will continue, along with an increase in site visits.
