In a commendable move to improve community safety and amenity, Liverpool City Council has announced tough new measures to combat the growing problem of abandoned shopping trolleys across Sydney’s streets, with a major enforcement operation beginning Friday, 21 February.
Strong Leadership on Display
In what many residents will welcome as long-overdue action, Mayor Ned Mannoun and Councillors have shown decisive leadership by revealing the council will begin an intensive impounding operation targeting abandoned trolleys after the matter was bought to a head by Deputy Mayor Peter Harle during a council meeting earlier in the month.
The initiative addresses what has become a significant safety hazard throughout the city. Store owners who fail to collect their abandoned trolleys will face substantial penalties, with fines ranging from $660 to $1,320 per trolley, with higher fines applying to clusters of abandoned trolleys.
Current Legislative Challenges
The council’s praiseworthy action comes amid frustration with current state legislation, which Mayor Mannoun rightly describes as inadequate for addressing the problem effectively. Under existing laws, councils face significant restrictions on their ability to remove abandoned trolleys:
- Councils can only immediately impound trolleys that lack owner details or pose an immediate hazard
- For non-hazardous trolleys, rangers must notify owners and wait three hours before impounding
- Identifiable trolleys on public property must be left for four days before impounding is permitted
Safety Concerns
The abundance of abandoned trolleys presents multiple safety risks to the community, including:
- Creating obstacles on walkways and footpaths
- Posing tripping hazards, particularly for elderly residents and those with mobility issues
- Obstructing traffic and reducing visibility at intersections
- Contributing to environmental hazards when dumped in waterways
- Attracting additional illegal dumping and creating unsightly areas
- Making our lovely Ciry look messy and uncared for
How can the Public Help?
Simply follow these instructions to report a trolley.
We need your help! If you see a lost or dumped trolley:
- Snap a photo
- Post it to the retailer’s Facebook page, councils page and/or on your own wall and note the location
- Tag us @ Liverpool City Council Australia and use the hashtag #trolleytrouble in your post.
Abandoned trolleys, which end up in parks and recreational areas including those dumped into creeks and rivers, are a major problem for Council and the country. They can become hazardous objects causing a build-up of debris and contaminating our creeks and waterways.
Decisive Council Response
“We’re taking firm action to address this issue,” Mayor Mannoun stated, demonstrating the council’s commitment to community safety. “While we’re not imposing fines immediately, we will do so if the problem persists. Unclaimed trolleys will be processed through Council’s scrap metal shredder.”
The council rightly emphasises that the current notification requirements are overly complicated, particularly as branded trolleys rarely display contact details for local retail outlets.
Moving Forward
This bold initiative represents a significant step in Liverpool Council’s efforts to improve public safety and urban amenity. The council’s proactive approach sets an excellent example for other municipalities facing similar challenges. By implementing these new measures to ensure compliance from retail outlets and shopping centres, Liverpool Council is showing strong leadership in addressing this persistent community concern. A solution for residents who don’t own cars would improve the amount of dumped trolleys and we hope council will consider a solution similar to what we have proposed in a previous post.
