Syringes, mattresses and piles of outdoor rubbish have been dumped in bushland at Bayonet Head, sparking anger and concern from the community, who fear the waste poses a serious risk to people and wildlife.

Large amounts of rubbish have been reported at the end of Jason Road, with household items and general waste scattered across the site.

Local Sea Shepherd co-coordinator and environmental activist Rhedyn Dekker, who regularly carries out clean-ups in national parks and on beaches, said the dumping of the rubbish was “horrific”.

“There were needles amongst all of that rubbish,” she said.

“Imagine if your kids were to be jabbed by a needle if there were people who left that there.”

Ms Dekker said the rubbish was not only an eyesore, but if it continued, it would have lasting impacts on the environment and future generations.

“It’s going to affect our kids’ future,” she said.

Ms Dekker questioned whether the cost to dispose of the waste could be contributing to the problem, but said the volume of rubbish at the site suggested people had access to trailers or other means of transporting it.

DevelopmentWA is responsible for the land where the rubbish has been dumped. Acting chief executive Lorissa Kelly said the organisation was working to address the issue.

“DevelopmentWA is working to remove the rubbish from the site over the coming days,” she said.

“We encourage anyone with information about acts of illegal dumping to report it online or to contact Crime Stoppers.”

The Jason Road site is not the only area where Ms Dekker has recently encountered large-scale illegal dumping.

On August 7, a few weeks before the Bayonet Head dumping was reported, she discovered another large rubbish pile on bushland off Engleheart Drive and South Coast Highway on DevelopmentWA land.

“It was kilograms of rubbish, mattresses and more general rubbish,” Ms Dekker said.

“It’s horrible, it’s affecting the wildlife in the area, and all the animals that venture in there are going to end up either getting tangled in it or will be eating it.”

Ms Dekker said community members could take steps to reduce waste and avoid illegal dumping, even if they were struggling to afford disposal costs.

She encouraged people to ask friends or community members on Facebook if they could borrow a tip pass or to speak with tip staff about whether assistance with disposal costs was available.

She also asked residents to report illegal dumping and waste through the Snap Send Solve app and to follow the lead of community initiatives such as Just Bin It.

Her message to people dumping rubbish was simple.

“Don’t be a tosser,” she said.

“That’s what people are doing: tossing rubbish out and expecting someone else to pick it up.

“Just pick up your rubbish and leave it better than when you found it.”