A careless act has left a glittery trail winding through fragile wetlands at Redhead, releasing millions of microplastics into the surrounding environment.
The 40m-long trail of glitter, glue and tiny plastic stars and animal shapes at the western end of the Ken and Audrey Owens Walkway looks bright and cheery, but Lake Macquarie City Council Manager Environmental Systems Brendan Callander said the repercussions could be serious
"Glitter by its very nature is already a microplastic," he said.
"It doesn't break down, it sticks readily to surfaces, gets into waterways and is ingested by fish and other animals."
"So while it might eventually disperse, it will remain in the environment for generations."
Mr Callander said the location of the trail was particularly troubling.
"It's not only right beside a State-significant paperbark wetland – it stretches over a bridge actually crossing it."
"So, every day the path is being used, foot traffic is loosening countless specks of plastic glitter, leaving them to be washed or blown into the water."
Mr Callander said it was one of the worst incidents of its type staff had seen.
"It's a reminder of what happens to all our plastics if they're not disposed of properly: they eventually end up in the environment, and often in our waterways," he said.
Council has contacted specialist clean-up contractors to devise a way to remove the vandalism with the smallest possible environmental impact.
"It's a very tricky task but the last thing we want to do is release more microplastics into the environment," Mr Callander said.
Under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act, individuals caught littering face a maximum $5000 fine.
Anyone with information about the Redhead vandalism is urged to contact Council on 4921 0333.
