Hume councillors hit out at shopping trolley dumpers

HUME Council will look at how to cut the number of dumped shopping trolleys after one councillor said it was driving him “crazy”.

Hume councillors are fed up with people dumping trolleys in the municipality.

HUME Council will investigate ways to cut the number of dumped shopping trolleys after one councillor said it was driving him “crazy”.

Last week, Cr Jack Medcraft asked for a report into how the council could reduce “the proliferation of shopping trolleys littering our streets” to be prepared.

Cr Medcraft said he was also keen for the council to engage with supermarkets and businesses about collecting abandoned trolleys.

“I’m going crazy with these trolleys,” Cr Medcraft said.

“It’s nothing to walk down a street in Sunbury on Sunday morning and see trolleys in parks, in ponds and in creeks.

“I can tell you that last week, in Sunbury alone, in a private car park and to the rear of the shopping centre in Evans St, there were 71 trolleys.”

“It’s ridiculous that some people are too lazy to take them back.

“But it’s not just Sunbury, it seems to happen everywhere, and in Broadmeadows and Craigieburn as well.”

Cr Jodi Jackson said she was fed up with seeing shopping trolleys dumped in Craigieburn, which she labelled as “disgraceful behaviour”.

Cr Joseph Haweil said abandoned trolleys were “a blight on the environment”.

At present, the council reports abandoned trolleys to store owners.

If the trolleys are not collected, they are taken to council depots.

People in Hume who illegally dump rubbish, including trolleys, can be fined up to $2000.

Woolworths spokesman Sean Ottley said the company had partnered with firms like Trolleytracker, which allowed members of the public to report abandoned trolleys via a free phone call to 1800 641 497 or an app.

“We also have trolley contractors do regular patrols of local streets around our supermarkets to return abandoned trolleys to the store,” he said.

Coles spokeswoman Rebecca Nunn said the company was aware doing a “significant amount of work” to minimise trolley abandonment.

“This includes daily collections by team members in areas directly surrounding our stores as well as vehicles on the road regularly to collect abandoned trolleys,” she said.

She said Coles encouraged the public are to use its app on their smartphones to report trolleys or to call 1800 876 553.