Hornsby Council to meet with retailers in attempt to combat trolley trashing across the shire

Battle lines are being drawn over who should take responsibility for trolleys lining Hornsby’s streets with Westfield now saying it is up to its retailers to resolve the issue.

Shopping trolleys left abandoned on our streets have been an issue for more than a decade.

Battle lines are being drawn over who should take responsibility for trolleys lining Hornsby’s streets with Westfield now saying it is up to its retailers to resolve the issue.

Hornsby Council representatives will meet with major retail chains inside Westfield Hornsby to come to an agreement about the best way to prevent people leaving trolleys on the streets.

A Westfield Hornsby spokeswoman said centre management would attend the upcoming meeting but they did not own the trolleys.

“The trolleys are owned and managed by our retailers,” the spokeswoman said.

“I’m aware that council is working with the retailers on a resolution.”

However Hornsby councillor Nathan Tilbury is less than optimistic about retailers coming to the party.

Trolleys are a major issue across the Hornsby CBD with trolleys being disgared and left outside small businesses and on pathways.

“We found the likes of Willoughby Council achieved significant improvements by working with their local supermarkets to implement solutions such as wheel locking systems that physically don’t allow the trolleys outside the shopping car park area,” Cr Tilbury said.

“These areas are sometimes several kilometres away from the supermarket, who appear uninterested in collecting the trolleys particularly as their costs has fallen making them more easily written off.

“It is now time for our local Coles and Woolworths stores to invest in this basic infrastructure to implement this proven method in addressing this issue.”

Hornsby Mayor Steve Russell raised the issue of trolleys in 2013.

The issue was also raised in 2009.

Ross Smith acting supervisor for Day Labour Services with Hornsby Shire Council Waste Management also tried to tackle the issue in 2004. Picture: SARA NIXON

A Hornsby Council spokesman said the meeting will provide the opportunity for all responsible parties to determine the best preventive techniques alongside council.

“Ultimately we have an issue on the streets of Hornsby,” the spokesman said.

“As a community we need to work with those responsible to overcome an issue that has been a burden on the community for some time.

“At this point we are not ruling anything out when it comes to possible solutions, council will engage with the major retailers and find a resolution that all will agree to.”

Council staff have investigated effective solutions that have been implemented in other areas across Sydneysuch as coin operated systems and magnetic boundary strips are effective deterrent.

Cr Tilbury has indicated that he supports the boundary strips because he believes the coin system can be manipulated.