The condition of the Emu Heights off leash dog park has been deteriorating for months and it appears nobody wants to take responsibility to fix it.
Rashmi Verrier and her two dogs Nacho and Nugget are regular users of the park, and noticed in March that a rusted bore pipe had water beginning to gush out of it.
“It’s been like this now for about four months,” Verrier said.
“It hasn’t been fixed.
“I wish I could do more, [and] I wish my voice was more heard, but I just don’t know what else to do.”
Verrier reached out to Penrith City Council when the pipe first began to leak water, but they confirmed to her that while the park was their asset to maintain, the pipes were not.
Verrier then reached out to Sydney Water, who also confirmed the pipes did not fall under their jurisdiction.
“I contacted Penrith City Council on the 3rd of March and let them know and they put a case through,” Verrier said.
“They said they had someone come out and have a look at it and he just said it wasn’t a Penrith City Council issue.
“So, then they told me to contact [the] water [company] which they had already done for me, but they never got back to me either.”
Verrier is mainly worried about the health of her dogs and other animals as the water has settled into a stagnant creek which has an orange tinge to it.
“I think it is more the fact that the rust is seeping out and the oil around it,” Verrier said.
“I’m concerned about the dogs licking it [and] the children playing near it.
“We get kangaroos, we get red belly [black snakes] here and I just feel like it is a bit of a concern for all the animals and for the people walking through it.”.
The sign on the rusted pipe is worn away but clearly has the stamp of the NSW Government and the Office of Water on it.
The Weekender reached out to various water and government agencies this week but has been given no clear indication as to who’s responsibility it is to fix this issue and when it will be fixed.
In the meantime, the rusted pipe continues to leak water.
Emily Chate
Emily Chate joined The Western Weekender in 2024, and covers local news - primarily courts and politics. A graduate of the University of Wollongong, Emily has contributed to The Daily Telegraph and worked as a freelance journalist.