“Lazy’’ shoppers are being blamed for the alarming number of shopping trolleys dumped in Fairfield’s waterways and streets

FAIRFIELD ADVANCE: Abandoned shopping trolleys are being dumped at an alarming rate in suburban streets around Fairfield according to local residents, posing a traffic hazard as well as environmental concerns.

Abandoned trolleys in Orphan School Creek

ABANDONED shopping trolleys are being dumped at an alarming rate in suburban streets around Fairfield according to local residents, posing a traffic hazard as well as environmental concerns.

More than 18 wayward trolleys were counted by the Fairfield Advance in a single block of streets near the Cabramatta shops last week. Stolen trolleys from fruit shops and supermarkets were discarded on footpaths, driveways and grass verges.

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Brazen shoppers even wheeled the trolleys down the middle of the street in broad daylight at lunchtime.

Abandoned trolleys in Orphan School Creek

Wayward trolleys have been left in front of flats, some pushed down steep driveways causing a nuisance for reversing cars.

Some of the worst affected streets are Hughes Street, John St, McBurney Rd and Park Rd, with many dumped trolleys used as rubbish bins and playthings for schoolchildren.

In Fairfield West, trolleys clutter Hamilton Rd and Sackville St.

Cabramatta West resident Brad Stead said it was a disgrace so many shoppers were “lazy’’.

“It’s absolutely shocking, it really is,” he said. “It’s really got worse in recent times.”

Trolleys dumped in Hughes St, in Cabramatta.

He said another major issue was that hooligans had collected trolleys and pushed them into Cabramatta Creek from some of the quieter cul-de-sac streets near the water such as Bowdon and Sussex streets.

“It’s not good for the local wildlife,” Mr Stead said.

“They’ve piled them up in the bushes around there, and behind the Cabramatta Leagues Club.”

At Fairfield Forum, Coles has introduced new sensor locking system on their trolleys, causing the wheels to lock if one is removed from the centre.

“It’s been very effective,” a spokesman said. Entrances to the mall are embedded with an electromagnetic transmitter, which generates a low frequency, low power signal to switch on the trolley’s front wheels if triggered.

Abandoned trolleys in Prospect Creek

Cabramatta Charles Gream is concerned about damage to the local waterways from shopping trolleys being wheeled into them.

“It’s been an ongoing problem,” he said.

Charles Gream examines the mess which he fears is damaging the region’s precious waterways.

“There are so many of these trolleys rusting away in our creeks.

“People are standing on them and riding them down to the waterways. I saw eight or nine stacked in a pile just the other day.”

Worst affected are Orphan School, Prospect and Cabramatta creeks.

Dozens of dumped trolleys were found on the day the Fairfield Advance visited the area including at this location under the intersection of The Horsely Drive and Fairfield St, at Fairfield.

The trolleys also have been filled with rubbish on occasions. Mr Gream is concerned not only about the pollution to the waterways, but potential hazards to wildlife.

He has begun documenting the problem with a series of photographs and has raised the issue with Fairfield Council, but said he has not had a response yet.

“This issue keeps cropping up,” he said. “A lot of people are concerned about the danger to our precious waterways and we have been at them about it.’’