Marion Council move to fine shoppers and retailers for dumping trolleys

Shoppers who can’t be bothered returning trolleys to the store precinct will be hit with fines of nearly $200, Marion Council has decided.

Shoppers caught removing trolleys from shopping centres will be liable to be fined under Marion Council’s planned by-law cracking down on trolley dumping.

Elected members voted at a meeting on Tuesday night to become the first South Australian council to endorse a draft by-law penalising supermarkets and shoppers for abandoned trolleys.

The draft by-law — which will be released for community consultation in December ­— is designed to ensure trolleys stay within shopping centres.

It empowers the council to fine retailers $187.50 if they failed to collect an abandoned trolley within 48 hours.

In a surprise move, councillors voted to have the same penalty apply to individuals caught removing trolleys from shopping centres.

Councillor Jason Veliskou said residents were “sick and tired” of trolleys being dumped outside their homes and fining shoppers would be a greater deterrent.

“This is an opportunity to clean up the trash that is abandoned trolleys in our suburbs,” Cr Veliskou said.

“People will know that if they are caught taking trolleys out of the facility that there is the potential for a fine to apply.”

Cr Bruce Hull, whose ward includes Westfield Marion, said the council had been trying to deal with the problem for “generations”.

He said it “annoyed” him that people repeatedly took trolleys home and then were “too lazy” to return them.

As a result, he said, the council ended up with “a conga line” of trolleys littering its streets.

“It’s got to stop,” Cr Hull said.

“It is littering and it is creating a hazard on our streets because these shopping trolleys often end up on the roads and impact on cars.”

Only Councillor Kendra Clancy voted against the draft by-law saying it was punishing people for being poor.

“The people with the trolleys don’t have a car, that’s why they are walking it home and leaving it there,” Cr Clancy said.

“I think this by-law is actually penalising people because they are living in poverty and (it) further pushes them into poverty.”

Council officers would have the discretion to either issue a fine or a warning to anyone caught removing a trolley.

The draft by-law also requires retailers to install a trolley containment system — such as wheel locks or coin deposits — and erect signs at the exits warning people not to take trolleys any further.

Once the council completes its community consultation, it will send the draft by-law to state parliament for approval early next year.

If this progresses as planned, a by-law could be in effect from October 2020.