Penrith City Council, Liverpool City Council, Fairfield City Council and Cumberland City Council rounded up 550 shopping trolleys on a single day recently in a concerted effort to remove trolleys.
The councils are calling for the State Government to amend the Impounding Act 1993 to allow councils to fine retailers for abandoned shopping trolleys.
Penrith Mayor Ross Fowler OAM said retailers need to be accountable for their trolleys.
“Our local communities are fed up with trolleys being dumped in their streets, parks and waterways,” Cr Fowler said.
“There is a cost to retailers to replace diminishing stocks of trolleys and there is a cost to Councils as we keep the amenity of the suburbs. Both of those costs could be significantly reduced with a greater emphasis by retailers in restricting the movement of wayward shopping trolleys.
“Right now there is very little in the way of discouraging retailers from allowing their trolleys to be abandoned and as a result of that we are having to re-direct resources to fix the problem,” Cr Fowler said.
